A New Life
by Zel-2219
Summary: Ten years... Ten years I've been an only child, and now I'm getting a little brother... Great. Just great. That little brat is just gonna ruin my life. I really hate my life right now...
1. Chapter 1

"Look, Isaac. Say hello to your new little brother!"

My mother just introduced me to my new little brother. Honestly, I could care less. That little shrimp is just gonna steal all the attention of anyone around him. He can't talk correctly, or even walk on two feet, or even on all fours, but that's what others will enjoy about him. Ever since I turned ten, I've been expected to do all kinds of stupid chores, both in my house and out in the village. I'm still just a Buizel; I can't do that much.

Both of my parents are Floatzels, and now, there's another Buizel that's gonna need attention 24/7. Whether it's something to eat, or something to play with, that little shrimp is gonna need something, and I'm gonna be expected to bring it.

"So, Isaac, what do you think of your new baby brother?" my mom asked me.

"Does he have a name, or can I just call him 'Shrimp?'" I responded bluntly. My parents apparently didn't take too well to my response, because I ended up with a swift smack to the back of the head shortly afterwards.

"That was very rude, Isaac. His name is Tyler, and you may not call him 'shrimp.'" I still will, heh heh… "Tyler, look, it's your big brother, Isaac." The little Buizel was presented before me, still cradled in my mother's arms. He just looked over at me with big, round eyes, illegible sounds coming from his mouth. He apparently took an instant liking towards me, because he extended his arms out and motioned like he wanted to be closer to me.

"Aww, do you want to be with your brother?" Crap… "Come here, Isaac." The little Buizel was forced into my arms by my mother. I was so tempted to just drop him on the spot, but if I did that, my parents probably would've grounded me until he was my age.

He really was just a baby Buizel, not even a foot long. The second he was in my arms he just cuddled up as close as he probably could to me. He seemed to get as comfortable as he could before closing his eyes and falling asleep, evident by his quiet snoring. This little Buizel is gonna suck all the fun out of my life. Since he apparently enjoys my company, my parents are gonna have me be responsible for keeping him entertained. Hopefully they'll still take care of his everyday needs, but if he ever wants to play or something, they're gonna expect me to be the one to play with him.

"Shrimp fell asleep. Where's his bed?" My mom reared her hand to slap me again, but stopped halfway, probably because I'm holding the little terror.

"We still need to make one for him, so just set him on ours for now," my mom replied. I nodded and, as quickly as my feet would allow me, I raced up the planks that were the stairs to the second floor of our house. Easily finding the straw and wood that made up my parent's bed, I set the little Buizel down on top of it. Thankfully, he didn't wake up; otherwise he probably would've wanted to be in my arms again. I gotta get out of this house…

"I'm going over to Sean's," I called out to my parents as I walked down the planks, "I'll be back later."

"Ah, ah, ah," My mom stopped me at the door, "Have you cleaned up the house like you had been told earlier?" Jeez… All these never-ending chores… If that little Shrimp isn't gonna be the death of me, these chores will.

"Tch, man… I can't believe this. So unfair," I started mumbling.

"We all have jobs to do, son, whether we want to or not."

* * *

After about an hour of cleaning, I finally got the house to my parent's expectations. "There, now can I go to Sean's?"

"Yes, you may, but just one more thing," my mother responded. Great, what else does she want from me? "Don't call your little brother 'Shrimp,'" and as she said that, she smacked me upside the head once again.

"Gah! Jeez…" How did she remember that? Even I don't remember when I called him that. Guess it's gonna be a hard habit to kick, which may mean more smacks in the future… Oh well, I believe it's worth it.

* * *

Finally out of that house. Hopefully Sean isn't too busy right now; that would just throw a monkey wrench into any hopes I had of getting out of my house. Well, maybe talking about my village will help me keep my mind off of that house. It's a fairly large community, but everyone still knows everyone in some way. I'm even known by almost everyone here. Just walking to Sean's house, I'm getting a bunch of 'Hey, Isaac.' and 'Where ya headin' to, Isaac?' Honestly, it's kinda annoying. There really isn't just one particular type of Pokemon that lives here, either. There are all kinds: Water, Fire, Grass, Electric, the list goes on. Dark, Ghost, and Dragon types are probably the only types you won't find here. No one knows exactly where all the Dark types were; same with the Ghost types, but everyone knew that the Dragon types commanded the mountain not too far from our village. If you look closely enough, you could probably see a few of 'em flying around the peak. Thankfully, they haven't really bothered us at all. They could easily destroy our village if they wanted to.

I think they are kept at bay by the village's hidden guardian. There's a large lake very close to the village where a powerful Milotic lives. No one has really ever even seen it, or knows what its name even is. Everyone just calls it "The Sage." That's pretty much all I know about that detail. It would be pretty cool to see it, actually.

After a while, I could finally see Sean's house in the distance. A minute more of walking, and I'm knocking on the door. A Raichu answered the door shortly after; I instantly recognized it as Sean's mom. "Hey there, is Sean around?" I asked the Raichu.

"Oh, hello Isaac. No, he's not. He left just a few minutes ago with Katie. I'm sure that if you hurry, you can catch up to them. They left down that way," and she pointed farther down the road. I knew exactly where they were, those two are so predictable sometimes. Well, at least Katie is, and she'd be the one to drag Sean anywhere she wanted with her.

"Ok, thank you."

I headed down the road towards a field near the village. This field was covered in a vibrant assortment of flowers, which is why Katie loved that area so much. And sure enough, I saw both Sean and Katie amidst the flowers. Katie was busy rolling around them and smelling the scents of each and every flower. Sean, meanwhile, was just on the sidelines, watching Katie as she continued her admiring of the flowers. One more thing about Katie, she is a little… eccentric in her greetings… I'm probably gonna regret this. "Hey guys, how's it going?"

"Isaac!" Yup… Crap. It'd be futile to try and run. Katie was exceptionally fast for a Flaaffy, so I just decided to take the greeting as best I could. She was running full force towards me, as expected. I braced myself and caught a breath of air before impact. Katie's unique greeting is a bit of a hug, but it's more like a death grip to the recipient. "How's it going, Isaac?"

"Gah! Katie, you're hugging too hard again!" I tried to say with what breath I had. It's a good thing she knows when to stop, or else she might just end up knocking someone out cold from lack of oxygen. I caught a few more breaths after she let go before finally regaining my composure. "Jeez, Katie. You need a new way to greet people that doesn't involve a death hug."

"Aww, you like my hugs, though, don't you?" Far from it… Sean was just sitting in the same place he was before Katie's 'greeting.'

"Hey, Sean, how's it going?" I called out to him to try and get him in the group again.

"It's going good, just like every other day. How 'bout you?" he called back.

"Horrible. My new brother came home today and he-"

"New brother? Aww, you're soooo lucky. I wish I had a little brother or sister…" Katie said as she kindly interrupted me.

"Yea, I heard about that from my mom," Sean said afterwards, "How is he?"

"Honestly, I'm not all that enthused. He is just going to be-"

"What's his name?" Katie so kindly interrupted again. She really needs to let people finish talking before she begins.

I let out a hefty sigh before I answered her question. "His name's Tyler. And I think the little Shrimp has taken a very huge liking to me, which isn't good at all."

"And why's that? Y'know, you shouldn't be so mean towards your brother, especially if you don't even know him yet. He's going to look up to you and I think he'd be better off if he got some sort of response from you," Sean said. He did have a point, but I've always looked out for just one person, me. I was never one to stick my neck out for anyone else; it's just not my thing.

"He's just going to take up all my time. Since he likes me so much, my parents are gonna force me to play with him, and I don't think I'll enjoy playing the games that babies play," I said to them. Both Sean and Katie had looks of disdain on their faces. Neither of them had any siblings, so they wouldn't know anything about what I'm going through. "All I'm saying is, that little Shrimp is gonna take up all my time, and I'm not gonna have any time or energy to have fun with anything else. He's just going to be one big pain in the tail, literally if he decides to pull on it."

Katie responded to my thoughts on Tyler by giving my a nice little shock to my arm. "Yah! What was that for!" I shouted. Being a Water type, Electric type attacks affect me a little more harshly. My arm went numb instantly after the jolt. One of the disadvantages of having two friends who were Electric types, but what are ya gonna do? Don't squander opportunities for friends.

"You should be excited that you have a little brother. Don't just let the moment pass, embrace it. He isn't going away anytime soon, so you should try and make friends with him, instead of just being a selfish jerk!" Katie said harshly. I was struck dumb by her words, and from the looks of things, even Sean was a little surprised at her.

"Hey, Katie! We need your help back home!" a voice from afar suddenly said. We all turned and saw a large Ampharos standing up on a hill.

"Aww, Mom, do I have to?" Katie replied.

"Yes, we need your help right now, so hurry up," and the Ampharos turned and walked away.

"Aww… Well, I'll see you guys later," Katie said as she started up the hill. A few seconds later, and she was gone from sight.

"Well, now what?" I asked Sean, hoping he had some sort of plan now. All that Katie had just said had kinda killed the mood that was in the area.

"I have no clue. I think I'll just go on home. You do the same," he said back. Returning home this early was one thing that I was not planning on doing. "And, hey, Katie actually said some stuff that you should probably listen to. Be nice to him. Who knows? Maybe you'll learn to like him after he ages."

"Fat chance at that," I replied. Sean sighed at my reply and started to head back towards his house. He turned his head just long enough to get one last thing in.

"Just don't screw him up," and he walked over the hill.

Screw him up? He's going to be the one to screw me up! My life was so much easier before he came in. A year ago, I could do whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted. If I wanted to go to a friend's house, there were no questions asked, and I didn't have to have something completed before I could go. When they went on grocery runs, I was allowed to stay home and sleep for hours on end. Everything was just so wonderful.

But starting just a few months ago, all that changed… It was like the second that I turned ten, I was now required to do all this complicated crap. I'm no longer able to do what I want. I now have to clean up all around our house, and even volunteer to help clean up older Pokemon's houses! My parents also take me on their trips to the market, and have me carry home most of the berries we get. It was very rare for me to be sleeping during the day after I turned ten.

And now… Little Shrimp is in the picture. He's just going to command all of the free time that I'm allowed, which isn't a lot to begin with. That little terror will suck every bit of fun out of my life. Sean and Katie don't know what I'm going through. That's why they're both against what I'm saying. 'Try and be friends with him.' Heh, that'll never work. He's not even old enough to do anything but steal my time.

"The sun's still high in the sky…" I said to myself quietly, "I've got time to burn. I'm in no hurry home." I started walking back towards the town, but walked down a different path than what I first walked this afternoon. The village was operating as normally as it could. There was a bunch of Pokemon building up a new house on one side of the road. Others were carrying loads of berries and straw from the crop fields. It probably wasn't going to be long until my parents make me get a solid job like everyone else here has, not just cleaning houses for charity, but an actual job to better help the whole community.

I decided I'd burn my time by going to a place that I enjoyed because of its solitude, a large cliff edge overlooking a large valley. The easiest way to get to it was to just follow a river through a small forest. The river ended up as a waterfall falling over the edge of the cliff and down into the valley below, where the river then gets created again. The sounds of the water and the view the cliff edge had were the reasons why I loved coming to this place so much. Also, if you can time it right, you can view the most amazing sunset one could ever see from this edge.

I set myself in the shade of a tree about 20 feet from the edge of the cliff. It was so cool and calm under there… It didn't take long before I was out like a light.

* * *

When I finally woke up, it seemed to still be light out. Good. The last thing I need is my parents mad at me for staying out too late. I lifted myself up from under the tree and gazed out towards the valley. The sun was still a ways in the sky, so the sunset wasn't going to be anytime soon. Shame, I could've used that last sight before returning home.

From the cliff to my house was about a 20 minute walk. The roads were a lot less crowded at this time, everyone was eating their dinner. As I got to my house, I took a deep breath, knowing full well what to expect on the other side. I opened the door and started in. "Hey, I'm home. What's fo- Agh!" Well, that wasn't exactly a graceful return home. The second I entered my house, I trip over something. Exactly what I tripped on remains to be seen. "Jeez… What was that?" I said, rubbing my head. A loud crying sound came from close by seconds later. Wait… That wasn't… Aww, crap! I opened my eyes and saw exactly what I tripped over. It was Tyler! And, now, he was crying up a storm. This won't end well…

"Isaac! What did you do?" my mom came screaming at me. She instantly ran over and started to try and calm Tyler down, but he must've been hurt or something, cuz nothing she did even quieted him down. "What happened?" she retorted.

"If that little Shrimp wasn't lying in the middle of the floor, I wouldn't have tripped over him!" I shouted back. That probably was not my best choice of words for the current situation. My dad was home now, and he could do a lot more damage than my mom ever could.

"Isaac! What did you just say!" Crap… Here we go… "What did you just say!" my dad yelled again. I knew that any way I looked at it, I was gonna get busted. I was in a hole, but I wondered if I should try and pull myself out or just dig it deeper to try and escape.

Let's try and get out of the hole. "Sorry Dad. I couldn't see him when I came into the house," I said, trying to sound as apologetic as I could. I actually didn't really care for Tyler's well-being; I just wanted him to shut up. If he keeps crying, it won't be a very restful night.

"That's all fine and dandy, but what did you first say?" he said in a voice that sounded like no matter what I did, I was gonna get burned that night. I just laid my head low and waited for him to speak. "First off, what was one thing that your mother told you NOT to call Tyler?" he said in an increasingly threatening voice.

I was scared half out of my fur by my father right then. I knew I had to answer something, lest I make him even more pissed off at me. "Calling him Shrimp…" I responded meekly.

"Exactly. His name is Tyler, not anything else. Don't call him Shrimp, or any other name like it ever again, understand?" He said with such ferocity, I was almost ready to just bolt for my bed. I refrained from doing so and just waited until he spoke again. My mom had taken Tyler into another room, but I could still hear him crying. "Now, I want you to go in there and apologize to Tyler, right now," he said. I was quick to comply, the last thing I needed was to disobey my father.

I walked into the other room, where my mom and Tyler were. She was sitting down, trying to calm Tyler down the best she could, but nothing was working. I didn't fall over him that hard… Did I? I walked over to them and tried to get Tyler's attention, if he even could focus on someone for longer than 2 seconds… I gotta stop doing that. It's only gonna end up making my parents mad at me when it leaks out.

"Sh- Tyler? I'm… sorry for tripping over you." It seemed so weird apologizing to him. He was just a baby. I'm not even sure if he knew I was there. Surprisingly, though, he ceased his crying for a short second to see me standing close to him. And, just like earlier in the day, he extended his arms out like he wanted to be carried by me. In direct fear of my parents, I quickly complied with Tyler's request and started to carry him in my arms. The second he was in my arms, though, his crying nearly ceased completely! This just baffled me. What was so special about me that made Tyler feel so comfortable? I was the cause of his discomfort in the first place, so why would I be his sanctuary? It was just so weird…

"This is incredible. A few minutes ago, he was crying with no end, and suddenly he's in Isaac's arms and he's calm?" my mother was saying. Apparently I wasn't the only one completely dumbstruck by Tyler's response to me.

After a few minutes passed, he seemed to be completely calmed down. "Well… What should I do now?" I asked. I couldn't just hold him in my arms the entire night. I needed some food.

"Well, let's go to the dinner table. Just keep Tyler next to you or in your lap if he starts crying again when you set him down," my mother responded. Keeping Tyler in my lap while I ate wasn't something I was looking forward to, but, again, I really don't need my parents any more mad at me than they are now.

As I got in the other room, with all the dinner items, I sat myself down at my end of the table. I set Tyler into his boosted up seat, and, thankfully, he appeared content that I was just next to him because he didn't start crying again. I breathed a sigh of relief, and got myself situated at my end and started to grab some berries from the pile in the center. Since Tyler couldn't really eat berries full, my mom had mashed some up into some berry mush, and started to feed that to him. Apparently he liked it, cuz he didn't put up a fuss or anything. I remember my parents telling me that I didn't like that stuff at all, that I would kick and scream and even one time, let out a little Water Gun to keep from eating it. Well, at least they didn't have that to deal with this time.

Ever since I was able to calm Tyler down, my father seems to have calmed down as well, but for how long? Once Tyler is asleep, will he start yelling at me again? This is just turning into a really bad day… I have both of my best friends mad at me, and now, we've had Tyler home for one day, and already I've trampled all over him. But… he also seems to be extremely calm when I'm around him. I still can't figure that out. He's known me for less than a day-actually, he's only seen me one other time! So how can he be so attached to me, and not either of my parents? He was with our mom for pretty much the entire day, but even she wasn't able to calm him down at first. What does Tyler see in me?

With all these thoughts in my head, dinner passed by relatively quickly. The sun was almost gone from sight; we wouldn't have been able to see without our Combeeswax candles. Tyler was already starting to nod off to sleep, but I was still wide awake. That little nap I had earlier in the evening kinda screwed up my sleep schedule. Oh well, what are ya gonna do?

As I started off towards my bed on the other side of our house, my mom stopped me. "Isaac, would you mind spending the night with Tyler?"

Is she serious? After all that's happened, she wants me to have Tyler sleep next to me? "Umm… Doesn't he have a bed of his own?" I asked back.

"No, we still haven't got one fully made yet, and he seems to like you, so he'd probably feel best if he slept next to you," my mom replied.

This is too much… I can't believe that she doesn't have his bed made yet. Unbelievable… "It's only for one night, Isaac. Tomorrow, we will have his bed made," my mom stated.

One night… the first night we'll have together with him, no less. I normally would fight it, but my dad is still right there… I don't need anything else provoking him. "…Alright. If it's only for tonight…" I responded reluctantly.

"Thank you, Isaac. Come, let's get you guys all set," my mom said. I followed her around to where my bed was, on the second floor but opposite in the hall where my parent's room was. My bed also wasn't a traditional bed. It was a bit of a hammock that was suspended alongside the edge of the room. It really wasn't made to accommodate two occupants, so I figured Tyler would be sleeping on my belly or something like that. I easily hopped up into my bed, and got comfortable quickly. My mom then set Tyler down onto my stomach. He was already sound asleep, so I'm not too sure if he even knew that he was sleeping on top of me. My mom bid us both good-night, and blew out the candle on the shelf.

So much is running through my mind now… This little Buizel on top of me adores me to an enormous extent, but why? What is going on in the mind of this little Buizel? What does he see in me? I guess the future might hold these answers. Hmm… Maybe Sean and Katie are right. Maybe I should try and be a little nicer to him. I don't know… It's just not like me. I can't change that quickly… Can I? Argh! This is insane! I don't know what to do! Maybe I should just let the days go by before trying to figure out what to do. Like Katie said, Tyler isn't leaving anytime soon… Oh, boy…


	2. Chapter 2

Man… That was not the best night's sleep I normally get. I kept waking up every hour because I can't get this little Shri- Tch… Well, yea, Shrimp. It's the nickname I gave him. At least I took the time to give him one. But, man! I kept waking up every hour thinking about that little Shrimp. Jeez… I wonder if Mom has breakfast ready. I could use some… Huh? What the? Something sticky is touching my face…

I open my eyes and what do I see? It's the little Shrimp, and he's licking at my face! "Gah! What do you think you're doing, Shrimp?" I shouted as I lifted him off my face and set him back on my stomach. I hope I didn't say that too loudly… Did my parents hear? A minute passed before I breathed a sigh of relief. "Whew… That's good. They didn't hear me. So, Shrimp, ready for breakfast?" I asked the little Buizel. Wait… Why exactly was I asking him? He couldn't respond in any way; it was like I was talking to myself, basically.

Shrimp just sat on my belly, tilting his head. Small little coos and chirps were coming from his mouth. For some unknown reason, I just started petting him on the top of his head. Why exactly I was doing that, I don't know. He seemed to like it, because he closed his eyes and let out small little chirps. I don't think I was ever petted on the top of the head, so why did Shrimp get to experience it? Well, I could stop at anytime; it was my paw that was petting him, but I just didn't stop. Maybe I am starting to like him…

"Well, isn't that sweet? It's so nice to see you being nice to Tyler, Isaac," I heard a voice proclaim. I ceased my petting and turned my head to see my mom standing in the door way. I didn't really know how to react to my mother right then. I felt Shrimp start to move around on me. I redirected my gaze over towards him to see him stumbling around on top of me. Apparently, he still wasn't coordinated enough to walk on all fours, but he just kept clambering his way up me.

When he got to my face, he started to lick me again! This time, I just wanted to shove him off me, but… with my mom standing right there, that wouldn't have ended well… So I opted to just lift him off my face and just held him in the air. "Could you come grab him so I can get outta bed?" and before I do something I might regret.

"Oh, sure. Just a second," my mom replied. She walked over and took Shrimp from my hold and proceeded to walk out of the room. "Breakfast is already on the table when you're ready," she said before exiting.

I got up from my hammock and stretched out my arms and legs. A large yawn also escaped my mouth. I was still very sleepy, but somehow managed to not just get back in bed and fall asleep again. Nah, breakfast was much too important to miss. I started out of my room and down the hall, passing my father about halfway through. "Isaac, how much longer do you think you'll call your brother 'Shrimp?'" he said as he passed me.

I froze instantly upon hearing that. Apparently he did hear my shouting minutes earlier. I slowly turned towards him and responded. "I-I'm not sure… It feels like that's just his name to me…"

He let out a sigh before speaking again. "Isaac, me and your mother talked it out and decided that we will allow you to use that nickname for him, but only if you can still acknowledge that his name is still Tyler and that calling him 'Shrimp' is nothing more than a nickname, not an insult, understand?"

At first, I did think of calling him 'Shrimp' as an insult, but now… it's just like it's my name for him. I am just thankful this didn't turn into another scolding like last night. "I'll try to just call him that when around the house, but I'm not making any promises," I replied.

"Just know that he's still Tyler," my dad simply responded. He turned back around and continued to wherever he was going.

Well, that turned out better than expected, and now, I can call him 'Shrimp' anytime I want! Actually, since it's now not gonna be something I'd have to hide, it's probably gonna lose some meaning and I'll just stop calling him it so often. A rumbling in my belly reminded me as to where I was going. I continued down the hall and walked down the stairs. I got to the dining room and saw both a fair amount of berries on the table, and my mom giving Tyler his breakfast. Wait… Did I just call him 'Tyler?' Heh, yup, just like I thought…

I sat myself down at the table and started to munch on a few berries from the pile. I looked over to see that Tyler was still enjoying his meal of berry mush. I again wondered why I never liked that stuff…

After breakfast was over, my mom set Tyler to play with what toys they had and told me to just watch over him so that he doesn't hurt himself. He was set in the living room, so I just hopped up onto the couch and just watched him play. At least she didn't make me play with him. Besides, he seemed content to play with a little overhanging toy that had rotating Wingulls on it, just laying on his back and smacking at the hanging birds to make them spin around… I can't even remember a time when I did the exact same thing. When he's my age, he probably won't remember either.

About 10 minutes after I was told to watch over Tyler, there was a knock at the door. Who could be coming by this early in the morning? "Hey Mom! Someone's at the door, should I get it?" I called to my mother.

"Please. I've got my hands full with cleaning right now. Just be sure to keep an eye on Tyler," she called back.

I don't think that he could get into any trouble if I answered the door. I got up from the couch and headed towards the door. I started opening the door. "Hello?" Aww… Crap.

"Hey Isaac!" I knew exactly who it was the second I opened the door, both that… and because of the death hug shortly following.

"Gah! Katie!" I shouted out; it was my way to get her to release me from her grip. I also noticed that she wasn't alone. Sean was standing next to her, shrugging his shoulders and shaking his head.

"Hey there, Isaac. Hope this isn't a bad time," Sean said after Katie released me.

"Oh, no, it's fine. I'm just watching Tyler as he plays," I responded while still catching my breath. Saying that, I turned my head back over to see if he was still doing alright. Sure enough, he was still just watching the Wingull fly, swatting at them to keep 'em in motion. "I'm sure you can come in, just be careful. You don't want to do what I did last night…" I said, opening the door fully to let them in.

Katie and Sean both accepted the offer and came inside. I shut the door behind them, which actually caught the attention of Tyler, who just looked questioningly at them.

"Aww, he's so cute!" Katie exclaimed shortly after laying eyes on Tyler. He was apparently intrigued by the orb on her tail because his eyes were just following it as she swished it around.

"He looks a lot like you, Isaac," Sean stated. Did he really? I've never been able to check, and my parents haven't said anything about it, either. If it's true, maybe that's why he likes me so much. Nah, it can't be that simple.

"We can't look that alike," I replied, "So, why'd you guys come by?"

"We actually wanted to see Tyler, and also to see if you've changed your mind about him," Katie said. Well, something has definitely changed, but I still don't know if he's gonna be my best friend and that I'd do anything for him. "Well?"

"I'm learning to be nicer to him, if that's what you're asking," I answered. I noticed that Katie was now facing me, which meant her tail was now in range of Tyler's paws. As she was swishing it around, Tyler was attempting to grab at it. That worried me, because if there's any electricity stored up in that orb, it might transfer over to him.

Unfortunately, my worries were correct. The second that he grabbed it, Katie jumped up in surprise, but also released a small jolt of electricity, which transferred right over into Tyler. He was barely a few days old. How could he handle being zapped by any amount of electricity?

Katie backed away from him after she realized what just happened. I ran over to him, and just as I got to his side, he started crying profusely. I actually took that as a good sign, because it meant that the electricity hadn't stopped his heart. His crying was quick to draw the attention of my mom, who was in the doorway in an instant after she heard him.

"Isaac! What happened?" she shouted.

"Ma'am, I am so sorry. He grabbed my tail, and it caused me to jump up and release some electricity," Katie said while bowing her head down.

I, meanwhile, was checking Tyler for any burns or anything like that. Thankfully, there didn't seem to be any permanent damage, and he was just in a bit of pain from the shock. "He seems to be alright, aside from any pain he might be in. Mom, do you have anything that might help?"

"Yes, I do. Try and calm him down while I grab it," she responded, before heading into our storage area.

I picked Tyler up and started to try and calm him down, pretty much the same way it was last night. However, Tyler didn't cease his crying as easily as he did last night. He must've been in a lot more pain… If a small jolt of electricity can cause my arm to go numb at my size, how would the same amount affect a Buizel that is less than a quarter my size?

After a minute or so, my mom returned, holding a bottle of what looked to be oil. "What is that stuff?" I asked.

"It's Wacan extract. It's designed to lessen the effects of an electrical shock," she replied. I've heard about those special berries that can lessen the effects of a certain type of attack. Some of that would've been useful for any of the other hundred times that Katie has zapped me in the arm… "Now, where was he initially shocked?" my mom asked.

"I'd assume his paws, since that's what he grabbed Katie's tail with," I responded. She nodded and started to apply it to his paws. She set the bottle down and started to rub the oil into his paws. After about a minute, Tyler had finally seemed to calm down a little. He was still crying a little, but he seemed to not be in as much pain. He opened his eyes for a brief moment to see who was holding him. After he saw me, he nuzzled himself closer to me, probably to try and escape some of the pain he was feeling. However, a few minutes later, he had somehow fallen asleep. That was probably for the best; he'd be able to recover easier if he slept.

"Isaac, let's take him up to our room for now," my mom said. I followed her up the stairs and when we got to my parent's room, I set Tyler down on their bed. My mom then covered him up with the straw blanket they had there. He still had a look of pain on his face. I hope he's gonna be alright…

With Tyler safely resting on my parent's bed, my mom and I went back to the living room where Katie and Sean still were. They had moved over to the couch while we were tending to Tyler. Katie looked like she could've just burst out into tears right there, but Sean was comforting her.

As soon as she saw us, Katie jumped up from her seat and ran over to us, "Is he going to be alright?" she asked.

"Yes Katie, he should be fine. He just needs to rest for now," my mom replied.

"Ok… Again, I am so sorry for that," Katie said, bowing her head down again.

"It's fine, Katie. Tyler's going to be alright when he wakes up," my mom told her. I really hope she's right…

"C'mon, we should get outta here," Sean said to Katie. She nodded her head, and they both started towards the door. They stopped halfway, and Sean turned his head around. "You wanna join us, Isaac?"

"Oh, uhh," I turned to my mom, "Do you need me for anything, Mom?"

"No, go ahead," she replied, "Oh, wait. There is something that you could pick up on your way home. If you could, stop by the marketplace and pick up a small blanket for Tyler's bed. We already requested one, so it should be finished by now."

"Alright, I'll pick it up. Later," I said back. I joined Sean and Katie at the door, and we headed off towards a place where we hoped would calm Katie down, the flower field.

* * *

The walk there could be easily described as quiet and tense. It seemed like every time I looked over at Katie, she turned her head away from me. She must really be beating herself up, but… for some reason, I feel like I'm responsible for Tyler's injury. I can't understand why…

It didn't take long for us to reach the fields. We all just set ourselves down on the hill just before the flowers. Katie just looked miserable; Sean looked like he had no clue on what to do or say anymore, and as for me? I felt the same way, clueless.

After a minute or so, Katie broke the silence. "Isaac, I'm sorry for what I did to your brother…" She still couldn't look me in the eye, even as she said that.

"Listen, Katie, at least you were sorry when you first did it. When I hurt him, the first thing I did was yell at him," I said back to her.

Sean's ears perked themselves straight when I said that. "What happened? What did you do to him?" he asked.

"Coming home last night, I just walked into my house and, uh, ended up tripping right over him. And the first thing I said when my mom asked me what happened was 'If that little Shrimp wasn't lying in the middle of the floor, I wouldn't have tripped over him.' I just instantly blamed him, putting no blame on myself."

"So, you just instantly put all blame on him and didn't care that you had hurt him? You didn't seem that way just a while ago. You seemed to really worry for him," Sean replied.

"Well, my dad scared me straight afterwards and told me to apologize to him. My mom had tried all she could to get him to stop crying, but nothing she did worked. But, here's where it gets crazy, the second that he saw me, he wanted to be in my arms, just like he was when I first met him. And after I was holding him, he just stopped crying and calmed down completely! I already told you guys he had a huge liking to me, but to feel that comfortable around me? My entire family was shocked."

"I noticed something similar back there. After your mom rubbed that ointment in, he seemed to cuddle as close as he could to you. He also fell asleep in your arms. He sees something in you; otherwise, he wouldn't feel that safe around you," Sean stated.

"Exactly. But what he sees in me is what I can't figure out."

"Hey, guys? I'm gonna head home…" Katie suddenly said. She picked herself up from where we were sitting and began to walk away. Her head was hung low, and her tail was dragging along the ground. She was still beating herself up. I gotta find some way to get her to calm herself.

"Katie, you don't need to worry about Tyler," I said to her, getting up myself and walking over to her, "How about this, I'll stop by your house tomorrow and tell you how Tyler's doing, ok?"

"O… k. Thank you, Isaac," she said back. What she did next completely surprised me. She turned around and just flat out hugged me. It wasn't anything like her greeting hugs; it was gentle. I didn't even know Katie could hug gently. It didn't last for long; she broke it quickly and continued on towards her house.

As I watched Katie continue up the hill, Sean came by and patted me on the back a couple times. "Hey, I'm gonna head home too. See ya later."

"Huh? Oh, ok," It was just like yesterday, although the circumstances were very different from yesterday. It was still very bright and early, barely even noon. I had no clue what to do. Well, there's still the blanket I can go pick up.

"Might as well go grab that thing now, before I forget and it gets too late and they all close shop," I said to myself. I started heading up the hill myself now. I could still see both Sean and Katie in the distance, but where I was headed was on a different path than either of them.

* * *

On my way to the marketplace, I noticed a group of Teddiursa on the side of the road, on top of a pile of large rocks. One of them looked to be stuck in between a couple of rocks and couldn't get out. The other two were just staring blankly, not really helping the other one out. I decided I'd try and help them out, since they weren't really making any progress to get out.

"Hey, you guys need a hand?" I asked them.

"Yea, we were playing on the rocks and he fell over and landed in between those other rocks," one of the Teddiursa told me.

"Alright, let me see what I can do," I walked over to the trapped Teddiursa and noticed that his leg was pretty much pinned between two large rocks. When he fell, one of the rocks must've shifted or something, because, from this view, there didn't seem to be any real damage to his leg. The rocks were fairly heavy, but I still managed to pry them apart easily enough to allow him to move his legs out from between them. I don't think that even if all three of them tried, they'd have never been able to move that rock.

"Are you hurt any?" I asked the Teddiursa.

"I don't think so…" he replied.

"Well, let me take a quick look." I knelt down and examined the kid's leg and saw that it was only a little scuffed and the fur was a little dirty. "Nope, you're fine. It's just a little dirty. Want me to clean it up for you?"

"Sure, go ahead," the Teddiursa replied. I nodded and fired a weak stream of my Water Gun at his leg, washing off all the dirt and rocks from his fur. "Yah! It's cold!"

I stopped the stream of water and chuckled a little. "Heh, sorry. Doesn't come at preferred temperatures." His leg was already sufficiently clean, so I didn't need any more water anyways. "Alright, you're good to go. Just be more careful, kiddo. Try and find somewhere else to play too; here isn't the best place for that," I told them.

"We will. Thank you, Mister Buizel!" the one I helped said. He ran over to the other two, and they all started running down the road, laughing and smiling amongst themselves. Had I not stopped by, that one might've still been trapped in those rocks. Heh, maybe I will make a good brother to Tyler… Well, better get moving again.

* * *

The marketplace was still as busy as ever; everyone had something to get somewhere it seemed. There are many different stores and stalls, each selling something different. I knew exactly where I was going though, a small little building where all the fabric items were sold, from cheap straw blankets, to cloth ones, like the one I was there to get, to high end silk blankets made from either Caterpie or Spinarak silk. The store is run by an Aipom named Daniel, but everyone just calls him "Handy Dan" on account that he is an Aipom. I just call him "Dan" though; I never really caught on to the "Handy" part.

As I entered the store, I saw that Dan was busy with another customer, but he still called out to me. "Hey, bud, I'll get to ya in a sec. Here's your blanket back; all patched up."

"Thank you, Dan. Let's go kids, and try not to shred this one up again," a large Sandslash said to three little Sandshrews. Apparently, I'm not the only one who also just calls Dan 'Dan.' Well, I was next in line.

"Hey there, Dan," I said to him. He was putting some equipment away, so I don't think he knew exactly who I was.

"Hey, what can I do for- Oh! Hey, Isaac. Here to pick up your little bro's blanket?"

"Yea, you have it?"

"Of course, it's been waitin' for ya for a while now. Here ya go," he said as he reached under the counter and produced a fairly sized, cream-colored blanket, neatly folded up. "So, how's the little tyke doin', huh?"

"Not too well right now. He got hit with some electricity and is in a bit of pain."

"Oh, bummer. Hope the little dude's alright."

"Yea, me too…"

"Well, you'd best be gettin' on home, then, and give him this blanket. I'm sure he'd appreciate it."

"Thanks Dan." I grabbed the blanket off the counter and headed out the door. I wasn't prepared to go home just yet; I don't want to see Tyler still in any pain. There was a lot swimming around in my mind, also. I decided I'd go to the one place where I could think in peace, the cliff edge.

* * *

I headed over towards the forest and the river that I follow to get to the cliff. It didn't take long before I heard the telltale sounds of the waterfall. There was still a lot of time left in the day. All this crap happened early in the day. I sat down under the same tree I slept under the day before, but I don't think I could sleep as easily as I did yesterday. Tyler's condition is what kept me awake. I can't help but feel entirely responsible for what happened. I could've warned Katie or had us sit on the couch away from Tyler. I've been responsible for injuring him twice now, and he was still feeling the effects of one of those injuries. I'm sure he does have a bruise or something from when I tripped over him, so he's probably still feeling the effects of that injury as well. I've done nothing but hurt him. Ever since he was brought home, I've only just hurt him in some way. A great brother I've been so far…

Katie beat herself up when she was still with us, and here I am, beating myself up in complete solitude. I can't believe I'm worrying this much about Tyler… I've never worried about anyone this much ever before. Not even when I was with Sean, and he ticked off a lot of Beedrill. The second they came after us, I just ditched Sean on the spot and ran away. When I saw him again, he was covered in sting marks. He didn't talk to me for a month after that.

I even found that little accident funny, but now… With Tyler… I only find myself in a state of intense worry. Maybe it's some brotherly instinct, or maybe it's because I feel responsible for getting him hurt. I wasn't responsible for Sean's injury, but I was for all that has happened to Tyler. I wonder how he's doing right now… He's probably still in a lot of pain… that I caused.

"Tyler, I'm so sorry," I whispered. Tears started to streak down my face now. They slid off my water-resistant fur and just fell to the ground. I've never cried under these circumstances before. Sure, I've cried when I got hurt when I was younger, but I have never cried for having hurt someone. I feel miserable right now; I don't ever want to feel like this again.

"Tyler, I swear I won't let anything happen to you, ever again." I made that promise to myself, and I was going to keep it, no matter what.

A fair amount of time had passed since I came to the cliff, so I figured I'd better get back home. It wasn't dark or anything, but I still had to deliver this blanket back home. I don't think enough time has passed for Tyler to have recovered, but I can't avoid it forever. I had to go home some time. I picked up the blanket from off the ground, brushed off any dirt it collected, and headed back towards my house.

Again, it takes about 20 minutes to get from the cliff to home, so I was there in no time. I started opening the door to my house but stopped for a second. I didn't know if Tyler had woken up or anything, and if he was on the floor again, the last thing I need on my conscience is falling over him again. I slowly poked my head through the door, but there was no sign of Tyler. I fully entered my house and slowly closed the door behind me.

I decided I'd check my parent's room, to see if Tyler was still asleep or if he had woken up. I climbed up the stairs and went into the room that belonged to my parents, and there was Tyler, still asleep on the bed. The room smelled of that Wacan oil, so my mom must've just recently used it. At least we had something to null the pain a little.

I walked over to him and saw that he was sleeping soundly, not cringed up in pain in any way. I smiled knowing that and set the blanket I picked up for him next to him. Apparently, he thought that I was next to him or something, because he rolled over and cuddled with the blanket like he would do when in my arms. Maybe it's because I've been holding that blanket all day and it started to smell like me. Well, whatever the case, he seemed to be sleeping quite normally, so I decided I wouldn't bother him anymore.

I figured I'd go find my mom and let her know that I was home. It was still too early for my dad to be home, and I don't think she'd be quick to leave Tyler unattended at home. I climbed down the stairs and headed for the kitchen, since that's where I'd expect her to be.

She emerged from our storage area just as I walked into the kitchen. "Oh, Isaac, how long have you been home? Did you pick up the blanket?" she asked.

"Not very long, and yes, it's up with Tyler now," I replied.

"Thank you, Isaac. Was he still asleep?"

"Yea, he was."

"Oh, ok. Well, do you want anything to eat?" she offered.

My body was hungry, but I just didn't have any appetite. "No, that's ok. I think I'm gonna head up to my room for a bit."

"Alright, dinner will be soon anyways, just as soon as your father gets home."

I nodded my head and went back upstairs. I passed by my parent's room and saw Tyler still cuddled up next to his blanket. If he does think that's me, won't it be a little cruel when he wakes up? If he sees it is not me, and just something that smells like me, how would he react? Well, at least for the moment he's happy.

When I got to my room, I just instantly headed for my hammock. The whole reason I got that instead of a frame bed was just so I could relax more easily, and I really needed to relax. I just hopped up into it and started swinging it back and forth. Doing that always… helps me calm… down… …

* * *

"Isaac? C'mon, buddy, time to wake up," I heard a voice say. Something was also prodding at my arm.

"Guh… Huh? Who's there?"

"Just your father saying it's time for dinner. C'mon, no need to be sleeping at this hour," he said.

"Alright, be down in a minute," I responded. My dad smiled, and then left the room. I hopped up from my hammock and started towards downstairs. I was extremely sore, so I stretched my muscles as I walked. I stopped by my parent's room to see if Tyler had woken up yet. He still looked to be- Wait… Nope, he's finally awake. Those big blue eyes never lie. Seeing him awake, I felt an enormous wave of relief pass over me.

I walked into the room and got next to him. "Hey there, sleepy-head. You had us all worried for a minute," I said to him. I ruffled his head fur and smiled at him. He apparently wanted to be in my arms again, because he did the tell-tale motioning with his arms, but there was something new this time. In one of his paws, he was holding the blanket I had picked up for him earlier in the day. Dan was right; he must've really appreciated it. I picked him up from the bed, making sure to grab the blanket with him, and started for the stairs.

"Hey, look who's finally awake," I called out when I entered the dining room.

"Tyler! You're awake!" my mom shouted out. She ran from her spot and snatched Tyler out from my arms. She failed to grab the blanket though, and also tore it from Tyler's grip. It looked like she didn't even see it, either, because it probably blended in with the cream fur on my chest. She just started cradling Tyler in her arms, unaware that he was close to falling from her grip to get back to his blanket.

"Uhh… Mom? I think he wants this," I said as I held up his blanket.

"Huh? That's that blanket I asked you to pick up, right?" she said back. She looked down and noticed that he was motioning like he wanted to be back with his blanket. I walked over to him and set it down on top of him. He snatched it in his grip and started to cuddle with it. He really liked that blanket.

"Yea, it's the same blanket. The moment I set it down next to him, while he was still asleep, he started cuddling with it, just like he's doing now," I told them.

"Really? That's so nice," my mom replied. She walked over back to the table and set Tyler into his seat, along with his blanket. "I'm sure that you're hungry now, aren't you, Isaac?"

I've forgotten that I hadn't eaten since breakfast this morning, and my hunger came to bite me very quickly after she said that. "Uh, heh heh, yea, you could say I'm hungry…" I said while scratching the back of my head. My stomach growled fiercely seconds later, and I took my seat and quickly grabbed some berries to eat to appease it. My mom had left for a moment, only to return with another bowl of berry mush. Tyler also hadn't eaten anything since this morning, so he should be as hungry as I am.

Dinner came and went. Both I and Tyler ate more than we usually do. After cleaning Tyler up, she set him again in the living room to play, although he had some new things to play with. One new thing for him to play with was his blanket. He absolutely loved that thing. He would roll around on it, try and cover himself with it, and even try and wrap himself up in it. Since he still wasn't able to walk on twos or fours, he often fell over his feet when moving around. It was sorta funny, actually.

But another thing he had to play with was me. After watching him for a minute, I decided to join him. I mainly just took his blanket and covered him up with it, and while he was trying to stumble his way out, I would move around to behind him. He would then poke his head out at the side that I was previously at and look around a little, probably for me. I would then pull the blanket off the rest of him, causing him to turn around and stumble over to me. It was kinda like a reverse peek-a-boo game, where instead of me being the one to hide, Tyler'd be hidden. He apparently enjoyed playing this game, because every time he turned around, he'd start to smile and laugh as he stumbled over to me.

Strangely enough, I even enjoyed playing with him. Every time I saw the confused expression on his face, I would also start laughing and smiling. When I first met him, this was exactly the kind of thing I was dreading the most, but now… I can't believe how wrong I was. It was like because Tyler was happy, I was happy. My parents were both happy that I was playing with Tyler. They both just sat on the couch and watched us, laughing a little along with us.

By the time the sun had begun to set, we had already drained Tyler of any energy he might've accumulated while he slept. He started to yawn a bit and lie down on his blanket. I had also used up some stored energy myself and was pretty tired as well.

My mom had come over from her seat next to Tyler and picked him up, remembering to grab the blanket along with her this time. "I think it's time for bed, sweetie," she said to me.

I let out a loud yawn shortly after she said that. Yup, it definitely was time for bed. My mom simply smiled at my response and started walking up the stairs with Tyler in her arms. I followed right behind them and decided to also join them to Tyler's new room, since his bed was now completed and he had covers, he didn't need to sleep on my belly again.

Tyler's room was just a little farther down the hall from mine, an empty room before it was converted into his room. Tyler had already fallen asleep in my mother's arms while we were walking upstairs, so she just set him down onto his new bed, a standard wood frame bed but with temporary barricades on both sides to prevent him from falling off. She covered him up with his blanket and bade him good-night. I also walked over to him and said good-night as well, also to my mom.

We both left the snoring Buizel and headed back to our respective rooms. I hopped up back into my hammock again, but this time, a lot more calm and happy. Tyler was as healthy as he could be and probably won't even remember that he was electrocuted in the first place. That memory will stay with me, however. It'll probably also stay with Katie. I just hope that she has calmed down, though…


	3. Chapter 3

Knowing that Tyler had slept soundly in his new bed last night makes me wonder if Katie was able to sleep, too. She has yet to know that Tyler has made a full recovery and that he probably has no memories of anything happening. She really seemed down for her usual cheery self. I just hope that she's feeling alright…

"Isaac, breakfast is ready. Come down when you're ready," I heard my mom say to me. She was standing in the hallway; speaking to me while holding Tyler. And surely enough, Tyler was also holding his blanket in his paws. He sure loved that thing to death, and he's had it for a very short time. His instant attachment to things, me and that blanket, namely, has yet to cease to amaze me.

"Alright. Be down in a minute," I said back to her. She walked on towards downstairs, while saying something to Tyler; I couldn't quite make it out. I jumped out of my hammock bed, but my foot got caught in between one of the openings that the weave of the hammock leaves behind. With my feet currently tied up, there was only one other place that would land first… my head, and that's just how it happened.

My face was smashed right into the floor, nose-first. The impact let out a decently audible thunk and probably freaked the life out of my mom. My foot was still entangled in the hammock, so my feet were still above my head. My tail also decided to be funny and dropped right on top of my head, its two prongs covering both of my eyes. "Ow…"

I shifted myself around so that I was on my back and started untangling my foot from my bed. Just as I freed it from its ensnarement, my mom appeared in my doorway. "Isaac? What happened?"

"Nothing, Mom. My foot just got caught in my bed and I took a little fall, but I'm alright," I said, standing up and brushing myself off.

"Oh dear, your nose is bleeding a little. This is exactly why I was reluctant when I agreed we'd let you have this kind of bed."

"Yea, well, it doesn't matter now, but you said my nose is bleeding?" I tapped underneath my nose with one of my fingers and brought it back to where I could see it. And sure enough, there was a bright red liquid on where I tapped. "Great… I'm gonna go clean this up. I'll be at the table soon," I responded.

"Ok. There's a bucket out back that you can use," she replied.

I nodded, and she started back downstairs. I followed her for a short while before turning and heading out the door to our house. I walked around to the back and found the bucket she mentioned earlier. I quickly filled it with my Water Gun and, after it was full, started cupping it into my paws and splashing it onto my face. After rubbing the area down with the water, I refilled the bucket so I could see my reflection in it. I had managed to clean off all the blood that my nose produced, which really wasn't a lot. It also didn't start bleeding again after I was done.

I shook my head free of any leftover water, emptied the bucket, and returned inside. The rest of my family was happily sitting at the table, eating their breakfast, or, in my mom's case, feeding Tyler his. I normally wasn't picky about what berries I ate, but this time, I searched for a couple of Oran Berries. The front of my face was still a little sore from bashing the floor, and I knew Oran Berries had some restorative properties.

* * *

Quickly after breakfast was finished, my dad had to leave for his job. He works in the construction business. He had mentioned something about a new house for a new family moving into the town during breakfast. My dad actually doesn't help with the actual building; he just oversees the whole operation, kinda like a foreman.

My mom had set Tyler back in the living room while she went about cleaning up after breakfast, and I was told to watch over him. It was actually exactly like the day before: breakfast, then watching over Tyler. But today, I had somewhere to be. I hadn't forgotten what I told Katie yesterday, that I'd stop by her house and tell her how Tyler's doing. I figured I'd wait an hour or so to give Katie's family time to start their mornings, though.

After watching Tyler play for a while, I got up from our couch and wandered over to the kitchen. My mom was in the storage room cleaning it up and keeping all our food fresh. I stopped just short of the doorway and called out to her. "Hey, Mom? I know I'm supposed to be watching Tyler, but I kinda promised Katie I'd drop by her house and give her an update on Tyler." She seemed a little surprised when I started talking, like she wasn't expecting me. Well, she wasn't, so I can't really blame her for being a little startled.

"Oh, well, this isn't a ruse to go goofing off with Sean, is it?" she asked back.

"No, Mom. What I said is what I'm doing. It won't take me long. I'll probably just go over to her house and talk for a little. I might ask if she wants to see for herself and bring her back for a little, but it won't take me long."

"Alright. Just make sure Tyler is ok before you leave."

"Got it." I started back to the living room and saw Tyler still playing around with that Wingull contraption. He was safe, so I headed out the door and towards Katie's house. It was pretty much the same direction as if I was going to Sean's, but about three-quarters of the way there, I'd take a different road that led to Katie's house.

I arrived at their house and started knocking on the door. I was expecting Katie to answer the door because I figured her parents also had jobs around the town and she was old enough to be left alone. To my surprise, though, a large Ampharos answered the door. "Hi, is Katie around?" I asked.

"Yes, she is… but she's not feeling very well." the Ampharos said hesitantly. By how light the voice was, I assumed that this Ampharos was Katie's mom. I hadn't been to Katie's house many times in the past, because we always hung out somewhere else, so I wasn't too keen on which Ampharos was Katie's mom or dad.

"Is she sick or something?" I asked back. A thought formed in the back of my head right then. I didn't want to think it, but maybe she was ill because of what happened yesterday. I sure hope not…

"I'm not sure… She just came home yesterday and headed for her room. She also didn't have anything to eat last night or this morning. I don't know what the problem is."

My mind completely sunk after hearing that. My thoughts were right. She hadn't recovered from the mental trauma of shocking my little brother and was still beating herself up for it. "Did she tell you what happened yesterday?" I asked somberly.

"No, she hasn't said anything since yesterday morning. Why? What happened?"

I sighed before answering. "I'm sure you know that she left yesterday morning to come to my house to see my little brother, right?" She nodded. "Well, as we were talking, my little brother grabbed onto Katie's tail, and she accidentally released some electricity, shocking him."

A look of horror sparked onto her face. "Oh dear! Is he alright?"

"That's actually why I came over. I promised Katie I'd let her know how Tyler was doing the day after. He's as happy and healthy as can be."

"Oh, that's a relief. Maybe you could get her to come out of her room. I think it'd be better if she heard the news from you. If I could also ask a favor? Take some berries with you. She hasn't eaten anything since she came home, and I'm dreadfully worried for her health."

"Yea, sure. I just hope that she'll listen to me."

Katie's mom let me into their house and retrieved a bowl of berries from their storage room. "I'll show you to Katie's room," she said. I took the bowl and followed her up the stairs in their house. The layout of this house wasn't much different from my own. Houses are all made in pretty much the same way, I guess.

Katie's room was in the same position as Tyler's room back at my house. The door to the room was also closed. Katie's mom knocked on the door a few times. "Katie? Could you open the door? Isaac is here to see you." Nothing happened for a few moments after she knocked on the door. "Katie! Please open the door!"

Did she barricade herself in her room? This isn't good. This isn't like Katie. Her mom started pushing with all her might on the door, but she wasn't able to make it budge. I set the bowl of berries down and started pushing on the door with her. With our combined might, we were able to open the door just enough for me to be able to squeeze in.

I picked the bowl back up and squeezed into Katie's room. Her mom left as I was inching my way in. After a minute of struggling, I finally made it into her room. It was completely dark in there. All the windows were blocked, and there were no candles lit.

"Katie? Where are you?" I called out. For several moments, I heard nothing but silence. "Katie, my brother is ok; he's fine! He woke up last night and has been as active as ever!" I thought that if I just said what I wanted to say, she'd have to hear it. She was still in the room.

After listening for any sound in the room, I heard the sound of faint crying. It was coming from the corner of the room. I walked over to that area until the sound grew slightly louder. I knelt down and extended my paw to see if Katie was there. But before I could even extend my arm fully, something smacked it away. "'Please… Just leave me alone." I heard her say.

This wasn't good. This was not Katie sitting in front of me. "Katie, what's happened to you? If this is still about Tyler, don't worry. I already said that he's as fine as he can be," I said to her, trying to assure her in any way I could. I just wanted her to be her normal self again. It just wasn't right seeing my hyper-active friend feel so… depressed.

"I don't want to hurt you anymore…" I heard her faintly say.

"Katie, you've never hurt me before. Why would you think that you have?"

"Don't lie… I've hurt you in more ways than one. I don't want to ever again… So please, just leave… Don't make this any harder than it already is."

I couldn't believe my ears. One of my best friends, who I've known for over half my life, is trying to sever our friendship… all because of what she thinks I'll think… I wasn't about to let that happen so easily, though. "Katie, we're friends! I don't want to see you like this! Can't you be that happy, friendly Flaaffy you were before?"

"Just leave…"

"Katie. I-"

"Just leave…" she retorted, cutting me off. She started to sob a little afterwards.

I just sat there for a moment and tried to extend my paw out again, but she just swatted it away again. I heard her sobs grow louder after she swatted my paw away. I didn't know what else I could do. I… I didn't want to just leave her there; she needed someone to help her, but I don't know what else to do.

With a feeling of defeat rushing over me, I stood up and walked back to her door. I shoved the object that was blocking the door out of the way. It was much easier to move it on this side than it was from the door. It seemed to be her bed or something. I turned just as I was about to leave to say one last thing. "Please, if not for me but for your mother, eat something. She's worried about you, Katie, and so am I. You're still my friend to me." She didn't respond in any way to my words, just sending me into an extreme state of worry.

I walked slowly through their hallway back towards the stairs. About halfway to them, I heard a door close behind me and the sound of something scraping along a floor. My mind was just sent into the abyss after that. I felt my eyes starting to water as I descended the stairs. Katie's mom was sitting on their couch when I came down. If she had any hope that I was successful in helping Katie out, the expression on my face was enough to kill that hope.

She saw the look on my face, and her expression dropped to just about match mine. I moved for the door, and for some reason, I was hoping that Katie would recover by tonight, but I knew that wouldn't happen. I turned my head to meet her mom's gaze. "I'm sorry…" I said as I exited their house.

My mind was just in a black abyss as I walked home. There was a huge hole eating at my heart as well. One of my best friends has probably just succeeded in severing any ties with me. I didn't want it to be true, but I couldn't reach her in any way…

* * *

When I returned home, my mom was sitting on our couch, just watching Tyler as he played. I still had that saddened look on my face, and my mom caught that almost immediately.

"Isaac? What happened? Is Katie alright?"

I wanted to respond, but with how I was feeling, my mind just shut down any words I would've formed. I just didn't want to lose Katie's friendship, but there was nothing I could do. Just thinking about it again caused more tears to form in my eyes. I tried to hold them back but… the thought that caused them was just too powerful to keep down.

"Oh, Isaac…" My mom came over to me and tried to comfort me, but I wouldn't be able to recover from this that easily. It was still early in the day, but I just wanted the day to end. I just wanted to curl up into a ball right then and there. I started walking for upstairs, towards my room. "Isaac? Do you need anything?" my mom asked as I was walking away. I tried to form words again, but my body just wasn't able to do so, so I just simply shook my head and continued upstairs.

Once I got to my room, I just jumped into my bed and curled myself up. My eyes just poured out all the tears they could make. I was just in a complete state of disarray, worry, hopelessness. I couldn't get my mind off of Katie. I wonder if Sean knows about her condition right now… Probably not. He knew she was pretty beat up yesterday, so he's probably keeping his distance for now. I just wish we could all be like we were before, a trio of great friends… But with how Katie's acting, I don't think we'll ever be like that ever again.

* * *

For the rest of the afternoon and almost all of the evening, I just stayed in my room, thinking about all the times Sean, Katie, and I had fun together in the past, and how we are unlikely to ever feel like that again. I was acting almost exactly like Katie has been, isolated from the rest of the world, holed up in my room. I was still able to bring myself to leave to get something to eat when dinner came around. From how quiet everyone was at the table, I figured my mom told my dad about how I was feeling. I'm slightly glad that they didn't ask any questions; I don't think I could've answered them if I tried.

When dinner was over, I was calmed down just enough to stay with my family. Tyler was lying in the middle of the floor again, playing with his blanket. He seemed completely immune to notice any of the despair I was going through. That was probably for the best; he didn't need to know what was happening.

My parents and I were on the couch watching him. I was sitting in between both of them. I still had a depressed look on my face, but I had stopped crying at least. My mom occasionally started to rub my back to get me to calm down. It helped a little but wasn't enough to fully heal my mind.

Eventually, the day finally ended. This day was one day I just wish wouldn't have happened. I just hope Katie is alright… The last thing I need is to hear something happened to her. I don't even want to think about that…

My dad had picked up Tyler from the middle of the floor. He had already fallen asleep on his blanket a while ago. We all headed upstairs and went into our rooms, save for my dad, who had to put Tyler into his. I climbed back up into my bed again and set myself straight. Before I could fall asleep, though, my mom came into my room and sat on the edge of my bed. "Isaac? How are you feeling?"

"I'm just worried about Katie…" I replied.

"What exactly happened when you went over?" she asked. I forgot that she was still in the dark about why I was so sad. She only knew that something happened with Katie.

"She doesn't want to be my friend anymore. She thinks she'll just end up hurting me again," I said, tears starting to form in my eyes again, "I don't want to lose her friendship, but I don't know what to do…"

"You need to let her know just how much of a friend she is to you, and also to Sean. You need to bring him into the picture as well. For as long as I can remember, you three have been the best group of friends I've ever seen. When you first said that you friends were Electric types, I'll admit I was a tad bit worried, but you've grown to be such great friends. You need to let Katie know that you are still her friend, no matter what may have happened."

"I already tried to, but I couldn't do anything to get her to listen."

"Maybe not alone, but if you show Katie that she has friends who care about her, she'll start to understand why you're all better off with her."

"What should I do then?"

"Remind her of all the times that you, her, and Sean have had together. Have Sean there with you, too. If both of her friends are there, she'll be reminded of all the times the three of you have had together."

Listening to all that my mom was saying, I started to realize that I had given up hope too early. There was still a chance that Katie and I could remain friends. I just had to get others in on helping her. I'm not the only one who can.

"And remember, if you ever need to talk about something, your father and I are here for you. You don't have to face all your problems alone. You have family and friends who can help you through rough waters. Don't ever forget that."

A new wave of emotions came washing over me right then. For the whole day, I was feeling depressed and hopeless, but now, I feel comforted and encouraged. My mom had gotten me out of my funk, and now it was my turn to help Katie out of hers.

"Thanks, Mom." I sat up and thanked my mom the only way I could at the time, with a hug.

My mom wrapped her arms around me, too. "You are my child, Isaac. There isn't anything I wouldn't do for you."

I was so happy right then. The tears that were flowing from my eyes had changed from tears of despair to ones of joy. I knew that, tomorrow, I'd help Katie, but I wouldn't do it alone.

We released each other from our grip, and I set myself back in my bed, while my mom started towards her room. She bade me good-night and closed my door. I fell asleep minutes after with tears still dripping down my face.

* * *

The next morning, I wanted to try to help Katie out as soon as I could, but the weather wasn't too cooperative. It had gotten pretty cloudy the past few days. I guess today was the worst of it. It was raining hard and thundering even harder. Poor Tyler seemed to be scared out of his mind. This was the first time he would've witnessed a storm, so I can't really blame him. If it was just raining, it wouldn't have been that much of a problem, for me or Tyler. I actually like it when it rains, but no, it was also thundering out, and when there's thunder, there's lightning. If I were to walk with my Pikachu friend in this weather, he would attract any lightning bolts in the area. I guess I have to put my plans on hold until the sky clears up.

I just stayed home and helped Tyler through the storm. My dad was also still home; a messenger Pidgey came by early in the morning to tell him that conditions are too dangerous to work. It seemed kinda ironic that the Pidgey still had to do his job of delivering news in this dangerous weather while everyone else seemed to get the day off.

During the whole day, my mind was just encompassed around Katie. I needed to let her know that she didn't need to be so hard on herself for what happened. If I get Sean there, as well as her parents, maybe we could all get her to come to her senses and be her normal self again, just like my mom suggested. I was really hoping that would work, but I wouldn't know until this storm passes.

It wasn't for another day before the weather started to clear up a bit. It was still cloudy out and still raining off and on a little, but the thunder and lightning had passed by. It was well enough for me to see if I could help Katie get out of her depression. Right after breakfast, I would head over to Sean's and ask him if he'd help me.

Minutes into breakfast, though, someone knocked on our door. I got up from where I was sitting and headed for the door. I was expecting it to be another messenger Pidgey or something like one for my dad, but when I opened the door, I saw something much bigger than a Pidgey, a Staraptor. "Can I help you?"

"You must be Isaac. Are either of your parents around?" the large Staraptor asked. The tone of his voice seemed to be a little off, like he was trying to keep something hidden. And why did he need my parents? Couldn't he have just told me what to tell them? Something was off…

"Uh, yea. One sec." I turned my head back towards where my parents were. "Hey Mom! Someone here wants to talk to you."

"Who is it?" I heard her call back. I looked back towards the Staraptor questioningly.

"Just let her know that I must be allowed to speak to either her or your father," he said. I still couldn't figure out why he couldn't just tell me, and I could relay the info to my parents.

I turned back around and shouted to the dining hall again. "He just says he needs to speak to one of you."

"Very well, one moment please," she replied. A few seconds later, my mom came into view and walked towards the door. "I apologize for the wait. What is it you need to tell me?"

"If we could speak outside? I have orders that restrict me to only tell this information to either you or your husband," the Staraptor stated. He had orders that prevented him from telling me something? Who was this Pokemon? I've never seen him before around town or anywhere else.

"Oh, very well. Isaac, stay in here," my mom said. She walked outside and closed the door behind her.

What is going on? Something is not right. I've gotta try and hear what that Staraptor had to say that he couldn't tell me. I held my head up against the side of our house to try and listen for them. They had just gone around the corner of my house, so I would still be able to hear what he had to say. Their voices were muffled, but I could still make out most of it.

"So, what is it you need to tell me?" I heard my mom say.

"Let me introduce myself first. My name is Tyr. I am a member of a hidden organization of this village designed to aid in any extreme trouble that may occur. We are kept hidden as to not incite panic within the village. From what I was told, your son Isaac is in close relations with one Katherine Moko, correct?"

Katherine Moko? That's Katie's name! Why did he need to confirm I had any relation to her? Something must have happened…

"Yes, Katie is what he calls her. She is one of Isaac's closest friends; he's known her for years. He was actually going to head over to his other friend's house, and both of them were going to Katie's house to try and help her out. From what Isaac's told me, she has been beating herself up for accidentally electrocuting my other son, Tyler."

"This other friend is Sean Livol, correct? Well, I'm afraid to inform you that Katherine Moko has gone missing."

My heart stopped when I heard that. My breathing nearly halted altogether. I didn't want to believe what I just heard. I just didn't want to believe that... Katie… No. Tears started dropping from my face. My whole being was sent into chaos. Why did Katie run away? Why did you leave, Katie? Why?

I needed some answers, and the only one who could provide those answers is that bird. I ran as fast as I could out the door and around our house. Tears were still falling from my eyes. They were so watered up that I could barely see, but I know they saw me.

"Isaac…" My mom came over to me and knelt down in front of me. She wrapped her arms around me. I wrapped mine around her and just cried all I could over her shoulder. I just felt so lost and confused. Any hopes I had of helping Katie now… are gone. Dead. I needed to know exactly what happened and why that bird wasn't able to tell me about my friend.

"Pfft. Great… How much did you hear?" Tyr said with a bit of frustration.

"Enough to know that Katie is missing," I said through my tears, "Why did you have to hide that from me? Katie's one of my best friends!" Tears started dropping from my eyes even faster now. I was hurt on two different levels: the fact that Katie is missing and the fact that this organization was trying to keep it hidden from me. "And what about Sean? Does he know, or are you hiding this from him, too?" I shouted.

"I was given strict orders by my superior to not tell this info to anyone but your mother or father! But you had to be a little sneak and eavesdrop on us, didn't you!" Tyr shouted back.

It was now my mom's turn to speak up. "You do not speak to my son like that! And, he actually has a very good point. Why did you have to keep this hidden from him? Both him and Sean are old enough to know that something like this had happened."

"Listen, Ma'am, orders are orders. It was my orders to not disclose this information to him. My associate was also ordered to not tell anyone but Sean Livol's parents."

"So, you'd rather follow your orders and treat us like babies than to acknowledge our age and ability to understand such matters…" I said scornfully. I had started to feel intense anger at this Staraptor. All that he was really doing was treating me like a little baby.

"Isaac, calm down. I can understand your anger, but you don't need to do anything stupid right now." My mom tried to reason with me, but I was in just too large a rage to listen to reason.

"Listen to your mother, Buizel. A little shrimp like you wouldn't be able to do anything to me, anyway." Tyr said insultingly.

I just snapped after that. I don't know what came over me. The feeling of sadness inside me was temporarily overtaken by an intense rage. My mom tried to hold me back, but she couldn't get a hold on me. I charged at the Staraptor with my paw reared back in a fist, but just as I was about to throw my punch, he simply dodged me and batted me away with one of his wings. His wing hit me square on my back, sending me flying about 10 yards away.

"Isaac!" My mom had come running over to where I had landed. She stood in between me and Tyr, preventing me from getting any closer to him, but I was still in a rage. I just wanted to land at least one hit on him, but I didn't want to make my mom worry about me or get her extremely mad at me.

The will to continue fighting Tyr overtook my fear of having my parents mad at me, however. I managed to get around my mom and charged at Tyr again. This time, though, I focused water around my body and shot at him with an Aqua Jet. However, right before impact, he side stepped again and brought his wing straight down onto my back.

The hit didn't send my flying any long distance this time. Instead, it sent me straight into the ground. How I managed to stay conscious after the hit is beyond me. I struggled to get to my feet, but Tyr slammed me back into the ground with one of his talons. I could feel the sharp ends of his talons dig into my back, but I didn't feel any pain from them. I could feel, however, a slight wetness running along my back.

"Pathetic. I told you that you wouldn't be able to do anything to me," he said mockingly.

I started feeling light headed soon after. I could feel Tyr pushing his weight harder onto me, shoving me into the ground, but suddenly, all the weight I felt on my back disappeared. I also felt drops of water land all around me. I turned my head and saw that it was no longer Tyr that was above me but my mom. She had forced Tyr off of me with an Aqua Jet of her own.

"Don't you harm my son anymore!" she shouted.

"Heh, so you both want to get damaged up some, eh? I'll be reprimanded, but at this point, I don't care," Tyr said menacingly. I didn't want my mom to end up getting hurt. I just wanted that bird to show me some respect, but all that I've accomplished so far in trying to get that is gaining a few open wounds and one pissed-off Staraptor. My mom stood in a defensive position above me, but something behind Tyr caught my attention.

"Hey." My dad tapped Tyr on his shoulder, and just as Tyr turned around, my dad landed a heavy hit to the Staraptor's face. "Why are you attacking my family?"

"Gah! I'll kill you for that, Floatzel!" Tyr shouted as he flew up into the sky. His wings started to glow a white color. I recognized it as a Steel Wing attack. Tyr dropped from a high height and aimed right for my father. My dad just extended his arms and caught Tyr's wings in his paws, stopping the attack in its tracks.

"Heh, have you forgotten that Steel type moves don't affect Water types that much?" my dad said with a smirk on his face. He then grabbed one of Tyr's wings with both his paws and hurled him away. He then crossed his arms across his body. The fins on the sides of his arms started glowing white. This was his Razor Wind attack. He whipped his arms down and two white-colored crescent blades flew from his fins, aimed directly at Tyr.

Tyr had no time to react to my dad's attack. Both crescent blades cut into his body. This was the exact opposite of what happened when I was trying to fight Tyr. Instead of him blocking all my moves and me getting injured, my dad was the one who hadn't gained a scratch, while Tyr was getting damaged.

My dad walked over to where Tyr was lying in the road. "Might I suggest you just go about your business and leave us alone?"

"Not without your blood!" Tyr shouted as he attempted to rake at my dad with his talons. My dad just caught Tyr's leg in his paw and used a move that finished the fight, Ice Fang. He bit down on Tyr's body with his chilled fangs, causing the dampened feathers of Tyr's body to start freezing over. The freezing encased almost all of one of his wings and about half of his main body.

No matter how much Tyr struggled, he couldn't break the ice surrounding him. "Damn you, Floatzel! Damn you and your whole family!"

My dad grabbed Tyr by the top of his head. "Listen to me, bird. Don't ever let me catch you attacking my family again. If I do, I will personally rip every feather off of your body!" I've never seen my dad like this before. He's never gotten this out of line with anyone. If I thought he was at his worst when he punished me, then I apparently don't know what his worst is.

"Now, I'm going to allow you to leave, but just fly away. Don't even think about coming back" my dad said. He whipped his tail around and shattered the ice encasing Tyr. He then backed away from Tyr, who started flapping his wings and flying away.

My dad started walking towards me and my mom, who was checking the wounds on my back. As I looked up to my dad, I noticed that Tyr had turned around in his flying. It suddenly looked like he just burst into flames and started to dive bomb straight down. Just as he approached the ground, he changed direction and color. He was now shimmering blue and aimed directly at my dad. I don't know why, but using every last ounce of my energy, I ran towards my dad. I rammed him aside seconds before Tyr slammed into him, but that then caused me to take Tyr's attack.

Whatever move that Tyr used hit me with full force. The hit sent me flying farther than when he first just smacked me with his wing. It felt like I was just trampled by a herd of Tauros. My body just went completely numb. I couldn't breathe at all. My body was shutting down.

When my body came in contact with the ground, every inch of my body flared up in pain. I was rolling and skipping along the ground, tiny shards of rock embedding themselves in my body. How I came to stop was by slamming directly into a large tree on the side of the road. My right side hit the tree first, and whatever kept me from feeling the pain of Tyr's talons before had completely worn off, because I felt a debilitating pain emanate from my right arm. I tried to get up; I tried to move, but my body just wouldn't respond. The last thing I remember seeing was Tyr flying high in the sky and my parents running towards me before I blacked out from the pain.


	4. Chapter 4

Where am I? I can't remember anything. Why does my body hurt so much? The pain… It hurts to move; it hurts to breathe. My body is in so much pain. I can barely stand it. How did this happen? Where am I..?

"Isaac?" Huh? Who's there? I hear someone… but where is it coming from? It sounds so familiar, but who is it? "Isaac, please wake up." There it is again… Who is saying my name?

"C'mon, it's late now. We'll come back tomorrow." A different voice, but still familiar. I can't react; my body is in too much pain… Who is there? "We're leaving. We'll be back again tomorrow."

"Very well. I'll contact you if anything changes with his condition." This one's an unfamiliar voice… Who is talking about me? How did I get here? What's happening?

"Poor Tyler…" The first voice… "He knows something is wrong with his brother. He hasn't smiled since Isaac has been unconscious, and he's been crying non-stop." I can even hear crying now… Tyler… My brother..? Is that you? I remember a promise to you, Tyler, that I wouldn't let anything happen to you. If how I'm feeling now is affecting you badly, then I must react, no matter how much it hurts…

"Uhhnnn…" My body… So much pain… But I must endure it… For Tyler. "T-Ty-ler… d-don't… cry." I slowly willed my eyes open, but my vision was blurred. I couldn't see anything…

"Isaac! You're awake!" The first voice again. I tried turning my head towards the voice, but the pain my body was in prevented me from doing that. "Isaac, are you ok?" Through my blurred vision, I was able to make out two orange figures in front of me.

Though they were blurred out, I was still able to recognize them both. "Mom… Dad… What happened? Where am I?"

"You're at Ms. McNeill's. She's the current doctor of our town," my mom said, "and you don't remember what happened?"

I tried to shake my head, but the pain my body was still enduring again prevented movement. "N-No, I don't."

"You took a heavy hit from a Brave Bird attack, remember?" my dad said this time, "You pushed me out of the way to prevent me from getting hit by it. I don't know whether to be thankful or angry at your decision. It was extremely foolish to throw yourself in the way of an attack like that, but you did prevent me from getting hit by it, even though I probably could've taken the hit with less damage than what you sustained."

I remember now. That Staraptor, Tyr. He was aimed at my father, but I shoved him aside and took the hit myself… A stupid decision caused my family to worry, but more importantly, it caused Tyler to cry. "I'm… sorry."

"No, don't be. You don't know how thankful I am. As your father, I'm angry at you for doing something so reckless, but as someone you were trying to protect? Thank you, Isaac."

My vision was slowly returning now. I could make out their faces and saw that my dad had a large smile on his face. I formed a bit of a half-smile before pain once again debilitated my movements, but the pain had subsided slightly. I scanned around the room before I noticed something in my mom's arms. Well, not something but someone.

"Tyler." He was just staring at me with those big, blue eyes of his. He had a questioning look on his face, probably wondering about me. "Hey there. Sorry to make you worry." I said to him. His face lit up like it did when we played together. I was so happy to see him happy…

"Aagghhhh!" I went to pet him on the head, but the second I tried to move my right arm, an indescribable pain shot from it. My lower arm felt like it had just been torn off, stitched back on, and then torn off again. I could feel that familiar wetness around my arm through the pain again, too.

This pain was just excruciating and just debilitated my body again. It caused my whole body to flare up on top of the indescribable pain in my arm. Any vision that I regained was instantly lost; any movement that I regained was lost. It hurt to breathe again. I felt exactly like I remembered before I first blacked out. I didn't black out from this pain, though. I was forced to have to feel every second of it.

"Oh dear! His arm opened up again!" I heard the unfamiliar voice say, "I need your help while I patch his arm up again. Apply pressure right here please."

"Right!" I felt something squeeze against my upper arm, away from where all the pain was focused. Seconds later, though, I felt as if something was picking at where the pain was, causing me to scream out again.

"I'm sorry, Isaac, this won't take much longer." My arm just felt like it was on fire. After a minute, I felt the wetness running down my arm stop, but the pain was still in full force. "I managed to get the bleeding to stop, but the only thing that can be done about the pain is if you're able to swallow something," The voice proclaimed.

The pain was still intense, but it wasn't as bad as it was a few seconds ago. "What do I have to swallow?" I asked through the pain.

"It's a bit of a drink, but it doesn't taste all that good."

Anything to get the pain to stop… "Give it here."

"Here." I felt something tap at my mouth. I opened it up and felt a mushy liquid flow into my mouth. The taste was horrendous, worse than how badly a Skuntank's smell smells. I coughed and sputtered from the vile liquid, but after I managed to swallow a fair amount of the concoction, my body started to go numb. The numbness overtook any pain, too. "So? How do you feel?"

"Numb…" I slurred out. The mixture I drank apparently numbs the body and every other part it comes in contact with.

"That's how you're supposed to feel. Now, try not to move your arm again. It's the worst injury your body has right now."

"What all happened to it?" I asked, my voice still slurred.

"For starters, it's broken, but how it broke is where the real damage is. It sheared from its normal position in your arm and punctured out of your skin. When you first came in, you were still unconscious, so we decided to attempt to return it to a sub-normal position and stitch up your arm where it broke through. When you tried to move your arm just now, it probably caused the bone to shift a little and break some of the stitches in your arm. That's why it's important for you to not move that arm until your external wounds heal. You'll be able to wear a sling when your skin heals in a few days, as long as you don't do anything to open it up again."

"When I first came in… How long has it been?"

"If you didn't wake up tonight, tomorrow would've been your fourth day unconscious."

"Four days…" My vision was slowly returning again, and I looked over to see Tyler with a scared expression on his face. He's been sad for that long… I'm so sorry Tyler…

"Buiii." Tyler started trying to escape from my mother's grip and get towards me. He wanted to be near me.

"Mom? Can you place Tyler on the bed?" I asked.

She looked down and saw Tyler trying to get over to me again. He's tried to escape from her grip to get to me so many times now, it still amazes me. She smiled and walked around the bed to my left side and placed him next to my head. He stumbled his way over to my face and started to lick my cheek. I smiled at him, a strange feeling of comfort washing over me. For some reason, I was so happy to have my brother next to me. I know that he feels at ease when next to me, but apparently it isn't a one-way deal. I feel at ease when he's next to me, too.

After a minute, I started nuzzling my cheek against him, to let him know just how happy I was to have him next to me. He let out a large yawn shortly after and just plopped down next to my head on my pillow and appeared to have fallen asleep. My eyes started to fill with tears soon after. I was just extremely happy to have my brother next to me.

"Ms. McNeill? If it's no trouble, we'd like to stay this night here," I heard my mom say.

"Oh, it's no trouble at all. I'll go get some of the spare cots for you to sleep on, plus some extra blankets," she replied. My mom then came over to where Tyler was sleeping and covered him up with his blanket. I hadn't even noticed he had that thing with him, but I probably should've known better. He'll always treasure that thing.

Just watching Tyler sleep started to make me feel a little groggy as well. It was nighttime, so everyone should be falling asleep pretty soon, but I have my brother asleep next to me.

"Here you are," Ms. McNeill announced quietly. She wheeled around two collapsible beds and set them up next to mine. "If you need anything else, don't hesitate to ask."

"Oh, we won't need anything aside from this. We are already asking a lot by just staying here," my mom replied.

"Don't worry about it. I didn't want to break up such a heartwarming scene anyway. Well, good night to you all."

"Yes, good night, Ms. McNeill, and thank you once again."

I heard Ms. McNeill walk away shortly after. My dad had been setting up their beds as they were talking. My mom was going around blowing out all the candles around the room. She kept one lit and held it as she walked around towards her bed for the night. She stopped by the side of my bed before, though. "Good night, Isaac," she said as she stroked the side of my face.

"Good night. You too, Dad."

"Night, Isaac."

My mom blew out the candle and got into her bed. I took one last look over to my side to see a silhouette of Tyler in the dark. He was still sleeping soundly on my pillow. "Good night, Tyler," I whispered before I fell asleep myself.

* * *

The next morning eventually came around, and the first thing that I felt when I woke up was a massive headache. My whole head was just engulfed in pain, but I don't think it was caused by my arm like all my other pain fits were. No, this headache was caused by something different.

"Hello Isaac. How are you feeling this morning?" I heard someone say. I looked over to see Ms. McNeill standing next to my bed.

"Ugh… Not too well. My head really hurts…" I groaned out.

"Well…" she hesitated for a moment, "that's actually to be expected. It's a rather unfortunate side effect of that drink you took last night. It's effective at nulling pain, but it also causes this rather strong headache afterwards. Kinda ironic, don't you think? One easy way to help get rid of the headache is to eat something, though!" She was trying to make the scene a little more light with her sarcasm, but she said something that just caught my attention instantly.

Food. Since I was apparently out cold for almost four days, my body hasn't had anything to eat in that long. The mere mentioning of food drove my stomach to groan out in need. "Yea, I could go for something to eat right about now." I chuckled sheepishly afterwards, trying to ignore the massive headache as best I could.

"I thought so. Wait one moment, I've got some berries and I'll even throw in one of my eggs, just for you!" she said rather happily. I've heard that Chansey eggs were one of the most nutritious and delicious things to eat in the world, but I've never had the chance to try one. Guess I'll find out if what I've heard is true or not, if I can taste anything through this headache…

She returned with a plate of berries, and as she set them down at my side, she pulled out one of those mysterious Chansey eggs from her pouch and set it down next to me as well. "There you are, now eat up!"

"Uhh, am I able to move my left arm?" I asked before attempting to move it. I didn't want a repeat of last night with moving my right arm and just wanted to make sure that I could.

"Yes, you should be able to. That arm only sustained minor cuts and bruises. It also had a few rocks embedded in it, but we got all those out. I would only advise still not trying to move your whole body as it might upset your other arm again."

Good advice. I slowly started to lift my left arm up from beside my body. After I felt confident that I could move it without being hurt by it, I opened and closed my paw just to make sure I could still move everything attached to it.

My left arm was fully functional, and the first thing I did with it was rub my head. This was one hell of a headache, worse than being in the middle of a Golbat Supersonic barrage. I quickly grabbed at one of the berries at my side and started munching on it. I was half tempted to just cram the whole berry into my mouth, but my better judgment told me to not do that.

After a few more berries, my headache was no longer such a nuisance. It still hurt a little, but it was much more bearable. I took a short break from eating to look around the room a little, and I noticed that there were some things missing from the scene. "Hey, do you know where the rest of my family is?"

"Yes. Your father left for his job, and your mother went back to your house to get some food of their own. She took your brother with her, too."

"Ah, thanks. Do you know when they'll be back?"

"They left some time ago, so it shouldn't be too much longer."

As if right on cue, there was a knock on the door shortly after Ms. McNeill finished speaking. She went over to open the door, and it was none other than my mom and brother.

"Hello, is Isaac awake yet?" my mom asked.

"Yes, he's eating right now. Come on in."

My mom walked into the building, while Tyler was just lying in her arms. "Good morning Isaac. How are you feeling today?" my mom asked.

"Better than I have been. When I first woke up was a little rough, but it's all good now."

"What was wrong? Did your arm open up again?"

"Thankfully no. That mixture I drank last night apparently has a little bite to it, in the form of a headache the day after. Some food cleared that problem up, though."

"That's good. Now, there's someone who wants to say good morning to you." She smiled and walked over to me. I knew who wanted to see me. Tyler had his arms going towards me again. She set him down next on my left side, and with the correct arm, I petted the top of Tyler's head. He still likes this, because he still lets out those happy chirps and coos. I actually had an idea form right there. I guess you could call it a way to apologize for making him sad.

I reached over with my good arm to grab at the Chansey egg that was still next to me. I tore off a small piece from its top and broke that piece even further down. The pieces were small enough so that he couldn't choke on them if he didn't manage to chew them up.

I held the piece of egg in front of him. "C'mon, try it. It's supposed to be really good."

He sniffed at the piece of egg for a bit before he opened his mouth and bit down on it. The second that it was in his mouth, his whole entire face lit up as bright as the sun. He smiled and laughed as the mysterious powers of these eggs made itself known.

My mom had started laughing herself now, and even Ms. McNeill was laughing. Those eggs apparently do bring happiness to the entire room that someone eats one in. I fed another piece to Tyler, which he happily ate up even quicker than the last piece. Hmm, maybe I should try a bit of that egg now.

I set all the little chunks down next to me and tore off a much larger piece from the egg. I wasted no time in biting a chunk out of the piece I had in my paw. And, just like with Tyler, the second it was in my mouth, the power and taste of the egg overwhelmed me. It was just the most delicious thing I've ever eaten. I don't think I can even describe how it tastes! It's just too good! I can safely say that if what I drank last night was the worst thing I've ever tasted, this is definitely the direct opposite of that.

Along with being so incredibly delicious, the egg also helped with my recovery. The eggs are extremely nutritious, and although it wasn't going to be enough to let me use my right arm anytime soon, it would definitely help in healing the arm well enough so that I could have it in a sling. I really didn't want to be bed-ridden for much longer now.

"That was really nice of you, Isaac," my mom suddenly said.

"Oh. Well, I just wanted to give him something to sort of apologize for making him worry about me for so long," I replied.

She laughed a little. "This is definitely not you when we first brought Tyler home, is it?"

Now it was my turn to laugh a bit. "Nope. Guess I just needed to get to know Tyler a little, just like Sean and Ka-" I ceased my laughter. My smile slowly started to fade. I suddenly remembered exactly what I was doing that got me here in the first place. Katie… I laid my head deep into the pillow and closed my eyes. "Mom? Have they found Katie yet?" I asked, my tone turning from laughter and heading towards sorrow.

She sighed before speaking. "No, they haven't. I'm sorry, Isaac."

She hasn't been found… I've been out for four days, so she's been missing for about a week now. Katie… Where are you?

"But, it's not just that secret organization searching for her now," my mom added, "After news of what happened between us and that Staraptor got around, the leader of that group made a public announcement stating all the facts about Katie and about finding that Staraptor. He's been labeled a Rogue Pokemon and not to be allowed back in the village."

"So Sean does know about Katie?"

"Yes, he should. I haven't spoken with either of Sean's parents recently, but with how fast news travels, I'm sure he knows."

That's one positive thing lying in this bleak subject. At least Sean does know, but I just want to get out of here. I feel so helpless just lying in a bed while Katie is somewhere out there. I just hope she's alright… It's been so long.

"Hey, Ms. McNeill, is my arm well enough to put in a sling?" I asked.

"Oh, well, it is still open and only held together by the stitches. It might open up again if you try and move it, but…" she looked around for a little, "I suppose that if we wrap a tight bandage around it, there's a chance that we could move your arm into a sling and still keep the bone straight and out of the wound. I'm not making any promises though, is that ok?"

"It's fine. I just want to be out of this bed."

"Alright, but don't do anything rash. Your arm still needs to heal fully. If you try and exert yourself, you may end up opening your arm again." She reached around a drawer for a roll of bandages. "Here we are. I'll try my best. It may be difficult because of the fin on your arm."

She slowly moved these pieces of wood used to keep my arm straight out of the way and started wrapping my arm in the bandages. She was trying to wrap my arm up without also wrapping my arm's fin. A few wraps in, I felt my arm start to flare up, but I couldn't show that I was in any pain. Doing so might cause her to stop, so I just gritted my teeth as subtle as I could.

After my arm was fully covered, she grabbed a larger but more flimsy piece of cloth and tied around the back of my neck, underneath my floatation collar. The last thing to do was move my arm into the sling. She slowly started to bend my arm and place it in the sling. My fin once again caused a little difficulty, and pain once again released itself from my arm. I still just endured it all.

After my arm was safely rested in the sling, I was allowed to sit up for the first time in days. My whole body was stiff and sore, but I didn't focus on any of that. My mind was just encompassed around Katie.

My mom had already taken Tyler off the bed, so I just flipped the covers off me and slid to the floor. I almost lost my balance as I landed, but I managed to recover without incident.

"Are you sure you're alright, Isaac?" Ms. McNeill asked me.

"Yea, I'll be fine. Thank you," I said as I started to head for the door.

"Thank you so much for your help, Ms. McNeill," my mom said.

"I'm just doing my part. Take care now, especially you, Isaac."

"Yea…" I walked out the door, my mom with Tyler right behind me.

* * *

The day was young, and the skies were clear. That storm four days ago must've passed while I was out, but what also has happened while I was unconscious? Katie was still somewhere out there, alone… And all because of what happened between us. Well, us and Tyler… I had such high hopes for helping her once the storm cleared, but now, I might never get that chance…

"Hey, Mom? Could I go to Sean's place to talk to him?" I asked before we started heading anywhere. I hadn't talked with him since the three of us were last together, and I wanted to see if he was holding up better than I was. I doubt he was as dumb as me when his parents were told of what happened.

"Since I have an idea of what you're going to talk about, yes. Just be careful. Don't do anything stupid. I don't want to have to come meet you in a doctor's bed again," she replied.

Tyler was in my mom's arms again. When the atmosphere in there changed, even he picked up on the bad vibes. He looked so sad again… "Don't worry, Tyler. I'll be back home soon. Just wait for me." I ruffled the top of his head again.

"Buiii. Buiii." He had his arms stretched out again, but with where I was going and my current condition, this was one time where I was not able to comply with his request.

"I'm sorry, Tyler." I moved in and gave my brother a gentle hug with my good arm. He didn't seem to want to let go after he got a hold of me, but he didn't have that good a grip on me, and I slid out from his hold. "See you at home later, Mom."

"Ok, Isaac." She turned away and headed back towards our house. I could hear Tyler start to whine a little. "It's ok, Tyler. Isaac will be home soon," I faintly heard my mom say. I didn't want to see Tyler like that, but I needed to talk with Sean. I started heading towards his house, which, from where I started, unfortunately passed by Katie's…

* * *

Since everyone apparently knew about what happened, they all started crowding around me as I was trying to walk. They were all asking questions about what happened. I just ignored them all, though; random people weren't the ones I wanted to talk to. Eventually, they all just left me alone and went about their business. Good thing, too. I don't know how much more of that I could've taken before I'd have just snapped.

Surprisingly enough, I happened upon my father on my way to Sean's. He was directing all the other Pokemon to what was to go where. I half didn't want to bother him, but I thought it would be nice to let him know I'm out of bed.

I walked over towards him, and he seemed to notice me almost instantly. "Ease up, boys! Take a five-minute break!" he called out to all the other Pokemon working on the house. He then turned his attention to me. "Hey, Isaac. Feeling ok?"

"Sorta… I'm on my way to Sean's to talk about…" I couldn't fully finish what I was saying. I was back in that depressed state I had been in much earlier. I just hope my dad got what I was saying.

"Isaac, I know you're sad about Katie's disappearance, but you can't blame yourself for it. Nothing you did caused Katie's actions. And don't give up hope, either. She will be found."

Almost all that he had said was the exact opposite I was thinking. I do sorta hold myself responsible for causing her to run away. To me, it seemed the last thing she needed to do before leaving was to break our friendship… I gave up hope too early, and now she's gone. It's been a week since she first disappeared. I want to believe that she'll be found… but too much time has passed, I believe.

Why am I doing this to myself? Everything that I'm thinking about is just the worst case scenario and morbidly depressing, but I can't help it. I know that I should adopt a more positive outlook before I get to Sean's, but I just can't. He's probably not given up hope yet, but why have I? Just one more thing to talk to Sean about, I guess.

"Hey, buddy, you alright?" my dad said, snapping me out of my thoughts.

"Oh, yea, I'm fine. I'm gonna go now," I said back. I desperately needed to speak to someone who had the same relation to Katie as I did.

"Ok, then. Just be careful with that arm of yours."

"Yea, I know. See ya."

"Alright." He patted me on the back a few times before walking back towards the construction area. He started to clap his hands. "Ok, boys, back to work!" and everyone there started moving around again. I started walking to Sean's house again.

As more time passed, my mind started going insane. Thoughts of every single time me and Sean have shared with Katie started flooding my head. I even remembered the first time I met Katie, almost six years ago…

* * *

"Isaac, here we are!" my mom announced. We both walked up to a much larger building than our house was. My mom told me this was Mrs. Rugara's Daycare, and the place that I would be sent to for a while.

"Mommy, I'm scared."

"It'll be ok, Isaac. You'll fit in just fine."

I hid behind my mom as we entered the large building. I could see many other Pokemon already there; a lot of them seemed to be older than me. I just hid myself further behind my mom, not wanting any of those others to start looking at me.

However, my mom walked away from me and towards a much larger Pokemon. It was a mainly brown with a cream colored belly, sorta like the cream fur on my belly, but it also had a pouch on it. Inside the pouch was smaller, purple-colored version of the big Pokemon. I ran back behind my mom again. Everything about that Pokemon scared me.

"Hello there. How can I help you this morning?" the figure asked.

"I'm here to drop off my son, Isaac," my mom replied.

"Oh! And this little Buizel behind you must be Isaac. Hello there."

My mom forced me from behind her to in front of her. The expression on the face of the large figure in front of me was very cheerful. I was still scared, though.

"Isaac, introduce yourself," my mom whispered to me. I didn't want to, though. I just wanted to go back home. "I'm sorry. He is just a little frightened at being here."

"That's alright. Almost everyone here was the same way the first time they were here, but they warm up pretty fast. Well, I'm Mrs. Rugara, but most everyone here calls me 'Auntie Kangaskhan.'"

"A-Auntie Kangaskhan?" I repeated. All that this large Pokemon was doing wasn't anything like it wanted to hurt me, but I still didn't want to be there.

"Well, I've got to get going now. Be good, Isaac." My mom knelt down and gave me a quick hug. She then started moving towards the door, leaving me by myself in this place.

"Don't worry, Isaac. You'll have fun here in no time! Why don't you go ahead and go play with all the others here. I'm sure you'll find some friends."

Worry was all that I was feeling, though. As Mrs. Rugara, or Auntie Kangaskhan, started to walk to greet others, I just found myself a little secluded area of the room and sat there. I just wanted to be back home.

Shortly after I was left here, Auntie Kangaskhan gathered everyone up in the middle of the room. I just stayed in the back of the room, though. She then went up to the front of the room. "Ok, everyone, we have someone new joining us today. Oh, where is he?" I knew she meant me, but I didn't want to have to go up in front of everyone there. Her eyes eventually caught sight of me, though. "There you are! What're you doing all the way back there? Come up here please."

I still didn't want to move from my spot, but all the eyes in the room were already on me. I just wanted to be left alone and go back home, but that wasn't going to happen anytime soon.

"It's ok to feel scared, but you should at least let everyone know your name," she called out. I could see some of the other Pokemon start whispering amongst themselves. A few were even laughing. I just stared blankly back at everyone. I didn't know what to do. I just wanted to go home.

"It's alright. We'll try again when you're more comfortable here. Alright then, everyone, you may go and play for now. I'll call you when it's lunch time."

Everyone got up and headed into the other room, but I just stayed where I was. A few Pokemon glanced over at me but none of them stopped by me. After they were all in the other room, Auntie Kangaskhan walked over to me.

"Come on, Isaac. You don't want to spend your first day here all alone in the corner, do you?" Actually, that was my plan. Just stay here until my mom came back. "Just give this place a try. You'll learn to have fun really soon if you try to, but you can't if you're in a corner!" she started laughing a little afterwards.

I didn't want to move, but Auntie Kangaskhan convinced me to at least go into the other room. After I got in there, a few of the other Pokemon looked over at me and started whispering again. I was still too scared to try anything, so I just hid in the back of this room, instead.

Eventually, it was time for everyone to get picked up and go home, the time I was waiting for since I first got here. My mom came after about half of the other Pokemon here were picked up. I instantly ran over to her and hid behind her. I always felt safe next to my mom.

She walked over to Auntie Kangaskhan first, though. "So, how was he today?"

"He's still a little scared about being here, but just give him time. He'll have fun here soon."

"Ok, come on, Isaac. Let's go home."

Best idea I've heard all day.

As my mom tucked me in for bed later that night, she said one last thing to me. "Don't worry, Isaac. You'll find some good friends there soon."

* * *

I looked ahead of me and saw Sean's house just about 20 yards ahead of me. I stood at his front door for a minute before finally knocking on it. Unsurprisingly, Sean's mom was the one who answered the door. "Hey there. Is Sean home?"

"Oh! Isaac, you're awake. When we heard what happened, Sean was even more worried than he is now. He'll be happy to see you awake." She turned around back into the house. "Sean! Isaac's here!"

"Wait, what? I'll be there in a sec!" I heard him call back, and a few seconds later, I saw my other electric friend for the first time since Katie disappeared. "Hey, how're you feeling?"

"The same way I've heard you've been feeling, worried."

"Yea, when my mom told me that Katie was missing, I couldn't believe what she told me. Then the next day, she tells me that you've been seriously injured. Now I'm just wondering what'll happen to me!" He started to lightly chuckle at his last sentence.

Even worried, Sean is still able to find some way to joke around. I wish I could be as laid back as him. "Nothing will happen to you, but I'm worried about what could've happened to Katie..."

"Yea, I know. I'm worried for her, too, but there's not much we can do. Hey, you want to come in? We shouldn't have to stand out here talking."

"I actually wanted to go by the lake. I haven't been there in a while, and that place always calmed me down, and I need to calm down. Is that ok with you?"

"Yea, that's fine. I haven't been there in a while, either. Just let me tell my mom where we're going." Sean returned inside his home after saying that. My mind started to drift back to the past again…

* * *

"So, Isaac, are we feeling a little more comfortable today?" Auntie Kangaskhan asked me.

"A little…" It was true. I was feeling a little more at ease there because nothing happened yesterday, but I was still not 100% comfortable.

"You'll do fine here, Isaac. You just need to have a little confidence," my mom said to me, "Alright, I've better be going now. Be good, Isaac."

"So, I still won't have you try to announce your name, unless you feel like you'll be able to."

I viciously shook my head no. I was starting to feel a bit better there, but I was still scared.

"That's fine, Isaac, but try not to hide in a corner today." Auntie Kangaskhan smiled at me. Everything that she did had an oddly comforting feel to me, like when near my mom.

I did follow her advice to some extent. I wasn't hiding in the corner, like I did yesterday, but I was still kinda secluding myself from everyone else still. As everyone else was playing with each other, I was just on the sidelines watching them all. I still felt a little like I didn't really belong there yet.

As lunch time rolled around, everyone was given a bowl of berries that Auntie Kangaskhan prepared a little earlier. While everyone sat and ate with their friends, I was still just eating by myself. Watching everyone have fun together was kinda getting me to want to be like that, but I have no clue how to do that.

As I was just starting on my third berry, a group of three Pokemon came over next to me. I only recognized two of them, a Mankey on the left and a Machop on the right, but the one in the middle looked new to me. It looked like a purple bat with blue flaps connected from its arms down. It also seemed to stick its tongue out a lot.

"Hi," I said sorta shyly. I didn't know why these Pokemon came over to me.

"So you can speak. I thought you were the same scaredy Buizel from yesterday who just hid in the back of the room all day long," the one in the middle said. With how this Pokemon said that, I got incredibly scared. These weren't friendly Pokemon.

Before I could do anything else, the same Pokemon in the middle walked towards me. It picked up my bowl of berries and just dropped every last one into his mouth. The Mankey and Machop both started laughing as they saw their other friend eat the last of my food. Auntie Kangaskhan was dealing with another Pokemon, so she didn't know what was happening to me.

"Those were mine," I protested weakly. I was still intimidated by this group.

The Pokemon just threw the empty bowl down in front of me. "Heh, not anymore, Buizel. What're ya gonna do about it?" All three of them started moving closer to me. I just started to cry right there. Both my mom and Auntie Kangaskhan said that I would have fun here, but this isn't fun…

"Aww, the baby Buizel is starting to cry," the Mankey pointed out. This just fueled more laughter from the other two. I didn't want to be there, anymore. I just wanted to go home.

"Hey! Leave him alone, you jerks!" a different voice called out. I opened my eyes to see a fluffy sheep Pokemon, a Mareep, standing behind them. There were static sparks coursing across the Mareep's wool.

The trio of Pokemon turned around to meet the Mareep. The one who ate all my food started moving closer to the Mareep. "And why should we?"

"You'd better, or else."

"What're you gonna do about it?"

"This!" The wool of the Mareep started coursing with even more static. The Mareep then fired off a weak wave of electricity at the trio. It hit all three of them, but only brought the Mankey and Machop down to their knees. The one in the middle didn't seem affected at all, but having his buddies taken out apparently weakened his ego. "Now, beat it before I get really mad!" A few more sparks were released from the Mareep's wool.

The Pokemon picked up its two buddies and ran off. The Mareep then walked over towards me. "Hey, you alright?"

I was still crying a little. "*sniff* Yea. Thanks…"

"Don't mention it. I've seen that Gligar and his buddies picking on the new Pokemon that comes here, and I decided I'd do something about it this time. So, what's your name?"

"I'm-*sniff* I'm Isaac," I said, wiping the tears from my eyes.

"Isaac, huh? Y'know, how come you couldn't have just said that yesterday?"

"…I was scared," I reluctantly replied. I didn't want anyone to think I was weak, but this Mareep was just as comforting as either my mom or Auntie Kangaskhan.

"Scared? Why were you scared?"

"I was scared that others would pick on me."

"Do I look like I'd pick on you?"

I looked at the Mareep's face. There was a bright and happy smile across its blue face. For the first time since I was there, I actually felt completely at ease. "No." I started to smile now.

"That's better! It's always good to see a smile on another's face, and not everyone here is bad. You just gotta give others a chance to get to know you." Another bright smile emanated from the Mareep's face. "Hey, you still hungry?"

Since I didn't get much from my bowl, because that Gligar, I think it's called, helped itself to my bowl, I was still pretty hungry. "Yea… A little."

The Mareep started giggling a little. "Ok, just one sec." It walked over to another bowl sitting along the wall and picked it up the only way Mareeps can, with their mouth. It then placed the bowl down in front of me. "Here you go!"

"But aren't these yours?" I asked, looking at the bowl of berries.

"Yea, but we can share them. That's what friends do!"

"F-Friends?"

"Yea, we're friends now! Friends help each other out!"

"Wow, thanks." I grabbed one of the berries in the bowl and started eating it. The Mareep also started nibbling on a few berries. "Hey, what's your name?"

"Oh! I completely forgot to tell you mine. My name's Katherine, but you can call me Katie!"

"Katie? Wait, you're a girl?" I blurted out. I placed my paw over my mouth quickly after, though. I started to fear I said something that I shouldn't have…

But to my surprise, Katie actually started laughing. "Yea, I'm a girl. That's not a problem, is it?"

"Oh! Uh, no! No, it's fine!" I exclaimed, shaking my hands and head vigorously. I was really hoping I didn't do anything wrong, now.

"Relax; I don't really seem to act like a girl, anyways, so I've gotten that before," she said, laughing again afterwards, "So, hey, do you want to meet my other friend? He's really nice, like me!"

Another friend? And one that is nice like her, too? It finally felt like I'd found the ones who I can have fun with here, just like my mom and Auntie Kangaskhan said I would. "Yea, that'd be nice. Thanks, Katie."

"Don't mention it. Now c'mon! Let's go meet him!"

She led me to the other side of the room, where a Pichu was sitting all alone. He perked his ears up when he saw me and Katie walking towards him. "Heh, found another friend, eh Katie?"

"Yea, he was being tormented by that Gligar and his goons, but I set 'em straight!" She turned back towards me. "Well, this is my other friend. Say hello!"

"Hmm… You're that Buizel from yesterday, aren't you?" the Pichu said while eyeing me up. I was wondering why he was doing that and getting a little worried that he was doing that. "That's almost exactly how I started off my days here! Except I wasn't as extreme as you were. My name's Sean."

"Hi, I'm Isaac." I guess my first thought about him was wrong; he was nice, just like Katie is. I was so happy right then, because I had found friends who I could have fun with!

The three of us spent the rest of the day together. The day seemed to go by much faster now that I wasn't sitting in a corner all by myself. Katie and Sean were so much fun to play with. Before we knew it, it was time for our parents to pick us up.

Out of the three of us, my mom was the first to arrive. I couldn't wait to show her my new friends and wasted no time in introducing them to her.

"Isaac, it's so nice that you've found friends! I told you that you'd find some soon," my mom said.

"We both knew that he'd find friends," Auntie Kangaskhan suddenly added, "The start of his day was a bit rough, though. One of the older Pokemon and his buddies started harassing him during lunch." So she did know what happened to me, but why didn't she stop them, then? "But young Katie here came to his aid, and the two almost instantly became friends!"

"Is that so? Well, thank you, Katie, for looking out for my little Isaac," my mom said.

"Mom…" I started to turn red a little from embarrassment.

My mom, Katie, Sean, and Auntie Kangaskhan all started laughing. After a few seconds, I couldn't keep from laughing, either!

"Well, we should be getting home now. Let's go, Isaac."

"Ok, see you guys later," I called out to my new friends.

"Yea, dude, see ya soon," Sean called back.

"And remember, we're friends for life!" Katie added with a happy smile.

* * *

"Hey, dude, you there?"

I was snapped out of my thoughts and brought back to the present. Me and Sean were sitting by the lake, for how long, I can't remember.

"You sure you're alright?" He asked again.

"Yea, I'm fine. I was just thinking that's all. Do you remember the first time you met Katie?"

"Yea, back in the Daycare. Why?"

"That's what I had on my mind a minute ago. I remembered the last thing she said to me at the end of the first day we were friends, 'We're friends for life.'" I picked up a rock from the ground around me and tossed it into the lake. "I just wish we could know where she is…" I just felt so helpless.

"Yea, me too." He patted my back a couple times after he said that. I guess I am taking this a lot harder than he is, but Katie was the one who was my first friend. Katie saved me from that Gligar and his buddies. Katie is the reason me and Sean are friends. I just wish there was some way to know where she was…

I picked up another rock and tossed it into the lake, but when it hit the water, the entire area started to waver around as well. I could see some brilliant, white figure swimming underneath the water's surface. The water then started to reflect some sort of image, and I could see an area that had a pink and white figure in it. Wait… Is that?

"I know where Katie is!"


	5. Chapter 5

"What did you say?" Sean asked. He just looked at me with a look of confusion planted on his face.

"I said what I said! I know where Katie is!" I shouted back at him. "I saw it in the water!"

"In the water? I didn't see anything. Are you sure you're feeling ok? You didn't hit your head on the way over, did you?"

"No!" I couldn't believe my ears. He didn't believe me! I thought that anything mentioning Katie's whereabouts would cause a different reaction than this… "I'm not crazy! I saw it in the water! Are you saying you didn't see that white figure circling in the water? It appeared after I threw that stone in!"

"All I saw from that stone was the water rippling across the lake, like all stones thrown in the water do. I know you want to find Katie as much as I do, but making stuff up isn't going to help us out any."

"You think I'd lie about something like this!" I growled back at him. I just couldn't believe this. He's supposed to be my friend, but he's just calling me delusional! "I know what I saw!"

"Ok. Then what did you see?"

"I saw Katie in a rocky, rugged area. It was a cave of some sorts and she was inside it. I also saw what looked like another Pokemon in the area, a Dragon type! That only means she's on the Dragon's Mountain!"

"The Dragon's Mountain? Sorry to burst your bubble, but I know that she's not there. They've already searched that area while you were still unconscious," Sean stated, "Besides, the Dragon types don't only exist on that mountain. For all we know, she could be halfway around the world at some other mountain with Dragon types. So unless you have more proof, they'll never send another search party there and they'll all just think you've finally snapped."

"Are you kidding me with this! They apparently didn't search hard enough! They were probably too worried about their own hides than of Katie! They probably just skimmed the bottom of that mountain!" My blood was close to boiling. I knew that they'd never fully search that mountain...

"Dude, calm down. You going crazy isn't going to help anyone. Besides, there's not much you can do with that arm of yours."

I just stared blankly at Sean. I just couldn't believe what he just said, that he was just calling me crazy and saying there was nothing I can do. There is something I can do, and I'm gonna do it with his help or without. It's the only lead I have to making amends with Katie.

"I'm going to find Katie, whether you're gonna help me or now." I started walking away from the lake, towards the Dragon's Mountain.

A paw on my shoulder stopped me though. "Dude, don't go there. Those Dragon types will tear you apart! And what about your arm? Do you really think you can do anything with it in that condition?"

I just shrugged his paw off me. "I don't care about any damn Dragon types or my arm. I only care for finding Katie and I will find her!"

This time he grabbed my whole body and swung me around. "Do you really think that going up there now is the best idea? You'll end up dead if you go! Listen, maybe we can get another search party to go up there. It'd be safer that way."

"If what you said before is true, then they'll all just think I'm crazy, won't they?" I shot back at him. He just stared blankly; he knew I was right about it. I didn't want to waste anymore time here. Every second I waste is a second clicking down on Katie's clock.

"We can convince them. Just stop trying to be the big hero and wanting to find Katie by yourself!"

Hearing that, I just snapped. I pulled my good paw back and punched my so-called friend straight across the face, knocking him back a few feet and to the ground. "You think I'm doing this for me! That I want to be the big hero and bring Katie back myself! I'm doing this because no one else will! Upon hearing that it's on Dragon's Mountain, they'll all just instantly give up hope!"

Sean picked himself up from the ground and rubbed his face. "You don't know that, and you never will unless you try, you idiot!"

I stopped myself right then. I was letting rage consume my thoughts again. Things didn't end too well the last time that happened. I started to get my mind back, realizing what I had just done. I just punched my best friend across the face, and it was because he cared for my safety. I felt my eyes start to well up. I was so hell-bent on this vision that I lost sight of everything else.

I just collapsed down to the ground, hanging every part of my body possible as low as they could hang. Sean had gotten up from the ground and stood next to me again. "Hey, you alright now?" He placed his paw on my shoulder again.

"I'm sorry. I just really want to find Katie." I replied, still hanging my head down.

"I know how you feel, but going off on your own isn't going to bring her back. You don't have to do everything alone y'know."

I don't have to do everything alone… The same words my mom told me after I last saw Katie. I had forgotten them, and it nearly cost me greatly. I'm not alone but Katie is. We've got to find her. We've got to get them to search that mountain again.

"So, you wanna try and barge up the mountain or do you want to try and get some help from a search party?" Sean asked me, a big grin planted across his face.

"Let's go get some help." I said back, a little smile appearing on my face now.

Sean helped me up off the ground and started down the path back to the village. "C'mon. I know the perfect guy to help us."

* * *

Sean had led me halfway across the village to a row of houses that seemed to be just more resident homes. He kept switching his gaze from one side of the road to the other, as if he didn't know exactly what he was looking for. I'm wondering if he even does remember…

"Hmm… He lives around here somewhere…" I heard Sean mutter. I was curious as to who he was talking about and how he knew this Pokemon. Hopefully this doesn't take much longer… We walked down the road a bit farther until Sean suddenly stopped in the middle of the road. "Hey, we're here."

The place we were was just another house, nothing special about it. "So? Now what?" I asked.

"Just hold on. Let's see if he's home." Sean must've had a plan for this place, so I decided to just play along until I knew more. He ran up to the front door and knocked on it. I just walked up next to him, not really knowing what to expect. He's kinda just left me in the dark about all the details.

After a moment, the door did finally open but not enough for me to see who it was. It apparently was enough for him to see us though. "Sean! Hey, how ya doing?" The door swung open to reveal a Pokemon with white fur and a red, kinda scar-like pattern on it. Very sharp claws were also present on this Pokemon, a Zangoose.

"Hey there. How've you been, Chris?" Sean replied to the Zangoose. I was still wondering how Sean got to know this Zangoose. They aren't really known for their-err…-friendly mannerisms. But this one seemed different, not seeming to want to attack anything.

"It's good, so who's your buddy there?" I was suddenly dragged into the conversation, but my mind was still wondering on some details about this Pokemon, mainly if he really could help us find Katie. "Wait a second. Aren't you that Buizel everyone's been talking about for the past few days?"

Jeez… Well, I guess I shouldn't be surprised. Everyone knows about what happened. "Yea, that's me. I'm Isaac." He seemed to start eyeing me up, examining every part of me for some reason. "Uhh… What're you doing?"

He brought his gaze back to my face. He stood just over a foot taller than me and about a half a foot more over Sean. His figure seemed menacing, but his attitude begged to differ. "I'm just looking at ya. No need to get all freaked out." He seems nice enough, for a Zangoose at least. "I'm guessing Sean's never told you about me. Well, I'm Chris. I've known Sean's parents since before he was born and I've also worked with his dad on some projects. We haven't really talked in a while though, but I still converse with Sean here on some days." He stretched his arms out behind him and let out a voracious yawn. "So, what brings you guys over here?"

"Well, we actually need your help." Sean started off. "It's about Katie. We have a lead but we don't think anyone official will help us on it."

"That Flaaffy friend of yours? Heh, so what's this lead and why don't you think anyone will help ya on it?" Chris replied almost instantly. Underneath that form of a Zangoose was a very intelligent Pokemon. I still couldn't wrap my head around it. From all I've heard of Zangoose, this one is everything opposite that.

"You tell him, Isaac." Sean started nudging at my side.

"Oh. Uhh… Well, I saw a vision of Katie in the lake. She was in a cave where there are also dragons, so I assumed that it's the Dragon Mountain. Sean already said that they searched over the mountain and will never send another unit up there again, so we needed an alternate form of help."

"Ok, I get it. So where do I come in?" he again almost instantly replied.

"Well, that's Sean's department. I really don't know why you specifically."

"It's because you know that mountain better than anyone else," Sean explained, "You also know a secret route to bypass the guards they have set up, since relations with the Dragon types aren't all that well." I stood with my mouth gaping wide open. This guy here knows secrets about that mountain and has even been up there?

"You really know all of that?" I asked, still a bit dumbstruck.

"Yea. I've also even talked with the leader of the Dragons," Chris responded, sounding like it wasn't that big a deal. However, hearing that just put me into an even greater state of shock and awe. This guy is incredible, plain and simple. Sean definitely knows who is right for the job. "So, how can I help?"

"So you'll help?" I couldn't resist asking. A great joy suddenly welled up in me. The vision I saw, I'd have a chance to prove it true.

"Of course. C'mon in and we'll talk about what we're gonna do." I had almost forgotten that we were still standing out in the open. What we're gonna be talking about isn't something that anyone else needs to know. I followed Sean inside and closed the door behind me. Chris' house wasn't too furnished as others I've seen but was still the same generic layout. We all sat down at his table and started to discuss what we were going to be doing.

Chris had out some small snacks, so me and Sean helped ourselves. "So how do you guys plan on keeping this hidden from your folks? I'm sure they wouldn't be too thrilled to hear you guys wanting to climb that mountain."

"I really don't have a plan for that…" I replied, "You got anything, Sean?"

"Yea, we each tell our parents we're staying at the other's house, but in reality we're gonna be over here."

"Great…" Basically, we're gonna have to lie to our parents. I've never lied to them before. I've never lied to anyone before, actually. I just hope I don't screw it up and get caught.

"That'll work. Just hope that they don't meet each other on the street." Chris looked over at me or, more specifically, my arm. "Now, there's just one more thing. Isaac, do you really plan on going up the mountain with your arm like that? There's probably going to be some climbing involved, and it's really hard to climb with only one arm."

"I know that with my arm busted up; I'm not going to be able to use it, but I still want to help in finding Katie. Compared to that, my arm means nothing," I replied.

Chris smirked at my response. "Alright then. Just be careful with it. I'm no medic. Ok, so we're going to meet up here tomorrow morning and head on up. Try to be a little early so we can avoid any other Pokemon seeing us. You guys ok with that?"

"No objections here," Sean replied first.

"None here either," I followed up.

"Great. So we're all decided then. Make sure to get some sleep this night. You don't want to be tired for tomorrow."

Me and Sean both nodded our heads. We knew what we were going to do. I just hope that this isn't a wild Farfetch'd chase and that Katie really is on that mountain. And hopefully she's safe too.

As we got outside, I noticed a little bruise on the side of Sean's face, where I hit him. Seeing that just made me feel horrible. He knew someone willing to help us get to the mountain. "Hey, Sean? I'm sorry for hitting you back at the lake. You've got a bruise on your cheek."

"Don't worry about it, Isaac, I'll be fine. I was kinda asking for it the way I was talking." Sean chuckled a little and grew a large grin on his face. No matter what it is, he always ends up laughing. I wish I could be as calm as he is right now. I'm a little worried about what's going to happen on the mountain. Maybe Sean is worried too and is just better at hiding it.

"Well, I'm gonna head home and tell my parents that I'm going over to your house tomorrow morning. You do the same with your parents. Later, Isaac."

"Yea, later." He started running off back towards his house. How he ran got me thinking on something though. He ran on all fours, making me wonder if I really should go to the mountain. My entire right arm is useless until it heals, and it won't be healed overnight. But even so, I still could be of some help. Besides, if I let just those two go and something happens to either of them, the other is going to have a much harder time.

I slightly twitched my right arm, just as an experiment to see what would happen. Unfortunately, an intense pain emanated from it. I still can't fully move my arm without it damaging anything. Something like that might happen if we get into a fight. I probably won't be able to use my Aqua Jet attack because the impact might jerk my arm around. I'm basically limited to my Water Gun, Sonicboom, and my left arm, and none of those will do much damage against a Dragon type. When my arm heals, I really need to start learning some new attacks.

* * *

Home… Oh, boy… I really am not looking forward to this. I don't want to lie to my parents, but I doubt they would let me go to that mountain, even with Sean and Chris. I just hope I don't screw this up… If my parents catch on to what I'm gonna be doing, they might tell Sean's parents too, and that'll screw both of us.

My house seems to be entirely deserted and way too quiet. No one was in the living room, kitchen, or anywhere else downstairs. I wonder where everyone is… Maybe they're upstairs. As I moved over towards the stairs, my mom happened to be coming down at the exact same time I was about to go up.

Tyler wasn't with her though. "Isaac, you're home. I didn't hear you enter."

"Sorry, I just got home. Where's Tyler?"

"He's asleep in his room. He just fell asleep while waiting for you." Heh, shoulda figured. He didn't want me to leave this morning. Guess the little guy tired himself out. "So, how was Sean? How's he holding up?"

"He's been doing better than I have with this whole thing." Well, I guess I better ask now while we're on the subject. Here goes… "Mom, could I go over to Sean's again tomorrow morning?"

She moved over to couch while we were talking. She looked at me with an expression on her face that made me a bit nervous, something I didn't need to be when-well-lying. "Why in the morning?"

"I, err, well…" I stuttered horribly. Only a fool wouldn't believe something was up, and my mom was no fool.

She let out a hefty sigh. "Isaac, what are you planning to do? I know something's up, so you might as well tell me what it is."

Somehow, she knew that I was planning something, but I don't think she knew exactly what. I still have time to save myself. "N-nothing's up. I just want to go and talk with Sean again tomorrow. If I go early, I don't have to worry about having to cross through the marketplace while it's at its busiest." Well that's just a horrid lie. The marketplace isn't even on the route to Sean's, and I think she knows it.

"Isaac, you don't have to cross the marketplace to get to Sean's." Her expression changed slightly, moving towards the look moms give you when you've done something wrong. "Are you lying to me?"

I had to keep myself from jumping when she said that. If I thought I was nervous before, heh, I have no idea what it means to be nervous. My entire body started to tremble a little as well. I really hope she doesn't notice the trembling. I knew I should've waited until I had planned this out first; not just jumping into it, but it's too late now. I have one chance to still get out safe. I hope this works… "No, I'm not lying, Mom. I wasn't going to meet Sean at his house. We were going to meet back at the lake."

My mom looked at me with such intent, I thought I was going to black out from how scared I was. I have no idea what my mom-or for that matter, my dad-would do to me if they found out I lied to either of them. I tried to keep my body from trembling, but I wasn't able to keep my entire body still.

After what seemed like an eternity, my mom finally spoke again. "Very well then, but why the lake?"

I had to refrain from letting out all the breath I was holding in at once. I slowly exhaled and answered her question. "Well, we're kinda hoping we could see the Sage of the lake. We think that it might be able to tell us where Katie is." Well, that already happened, but Mom doesn't know that, so I should be safe using it as an excuse.

"The Sage of the lake. You don't need to waste your time with the legends, son. Just be patient. They'll find Katie soon enough." If what I saw is true, then being patient will end up with Katie… I don't even want to finish that thought. I just hope she is still… No, she is still alive. Don't think like that. Katie… "Isaac, are you ok?"

"Oh, yea. Sorry. I was just thinking about Katie, that's all. I really miss her." That's an understatement, though. I'm really not showing how much I miss her, I guess. Everything about her: her laugh, her energy-heck, I even miss her greeting/death hugs!

"Well, with Tyler asleep and your father still out at work, there's nothing that I really need for you to do now, so you can go ahead and do whatever for the time being," my mom told me.

"I think I'll just go up to my room. Call me when Dad gets home or if Tyler wakes up," I replied. My mom had a surprised look on her face after my reply. It's probably because she didn't expect me to mention Tyler. What can I say? He really has grown on me.

I moved towards the stairs and started my way up them. My mom just laid her head down on the top of the couch, looking like she could just fall asleep herself right there. On the second floor, I didn't immediately go for my room. I made a quick stop by Tyler's, and just like my mom said, he was fast asleep. I smiled at the sight of my brother happily dreaming and cuddling that blanket he's grown to treasure.

A large part of the blanket was hanging off to his side. Not making any noise, I slowly made my way over to him. He was still asleep as I got next to him. I slowly lifted the part of his blanket hanging out back over on top of him. He shifted a little bit but still didn't wake. As silently as I walked in, I walked out. A smile never left my face that entire time.

However, as I made my way over to my room, I once again questioned whether or not to go with Sean and Chris. If I did end up getting hurt or-Mew forbid-worse, how will that affect Tyler? Me being out for nearly four days made him cry nonstop and never smile. What will happen to him if I'm gone… forever? And also, it's not just Tyler, but my whole family. How would my mom and dad react when they found out I wasn't around anymore?

I can't do that to them, no, but then what about Katie? I can't just leave her either. This is one compromise I don't want to make. My family or my very first friend? I don't want to have to choose, but I gotta. Man… I guess I'm just going to have to be very careful, for both my family's and Katie's sake.

This whole time I'm thinking, I'm just lying down and swinging on my hammock bed. My arm thankfully has allowed me to do so and not act up. I just hope getting out of bed will be just as easy. I once again tested my arm's movement. Surprisingly, it was able to move very slightly without hurting too much, but I dared not go any farther than that. I still took it as a good sign that my arm was healing, but breaks don't heal in a week.

All these thoughts in my head, it's no surprise that I'm not able to rest at all. I wonder if Sean is thinking about tomorrow too. And also Chris, I wonder what his thoughts are on this. He doesn't have the same relation with Katie as me or Sean, but he's still going to take us up to a place no one is allowed to go.

I just hope we do end up finding her. It'd be such a relief to m-wait a sec. A relief to me? No, that's not right. Finding Katie will be a relief to this entire town, but most importantly, her parents. I can't imagine what hell they're going through not knowing where their daughter is. I saw her mom worried when she was barricaded in her room, but how does that compare to how she feels now? And after I did next to nothing in helping get Katie out of her room… I can't even imagine what she's feeling right now…

* * *

A few hours passed by relatively quiet. Tyler didn't wake, Dad hasn't come home yet, and Mom hasn't called me for anything. With every hour that passes, the time before we start climbing that mountain draws closer. I've started second guessing myself again, wondering if I really should go or not, if I could be of some help or if my arm will just get in the way. I don't want to be a hindrance, especially with Katie's life on the line, but I also don't want to just sit and do nothing. I want to be of some help, but will I do more harm than good? I just don't know…

My mom came into my room right then. "Isaac, are you awake?"

"Yea, I'm awake. I've been awake," I replied.

"Ok. Well, just to let you know, your father is home and we are going to be eating soon, so you should probably come downstairs now."

"Tyler up too?"

"I'm on my way to get him right now. You can come if you want."

I nodded my head and started to get out of my hammock. Getting out was just as easy as getting in; my arm did not hinder my ability to do so at all. I stretched as best I could without moving my right arm and followed my mom down the hallway to Tyler's room.

He was a little awake but still half asleep. The second he saw me, though, he was wide awake and raring to do something with me. He had his arms motioning that he wanted me to carry him, but just like earlier in the day, my arm prevents me from being able to hold him at all. I opted to just stand next to him while my mom carried him around.

"You have a good nap there, buddy?" I asked him. It was solely to just get him to know I wasn't just going to leave him. He still had his arms going though, and we couldn't do anything about it. "Sorry, buddy, but I can't carry you with my arm like this." The look on his faced drained to sadness. He really wanted me to carry him, but without both my arms, there's no way I can carry him. Unless… "Hey, Mom, I have an idea," I said smiling strongly.

"An idea for what?"

"To let me carry Tyler. He can ride on the top of my floatation sac, after I inflate it a little bit to give him room to sit on," I explained.

"That seems a bit dangerous. What if he falls off?" she asked back. Tyler knew we were talking about him; his eyes were darting back and forth between me and my mom, but I don't think he knew exactly what was going on.

"Well, you can stand by him and hold him up or something like that, can't you? C'mon, I think he'd really like that." I half couldn't believe how hard I was pushing this. I just hope this isn't because it might the last kind thing I'll be able to do for my brother…

"Well… alright, but be very careful."

I nodded my head and moved over towards my mom. I inhaled a bit of air and redirected it to the floatation sac on my neck. It inflated a considerable amount for Tyler to sit on but not enough for me to be disoriented while walking. My mom then set Tyler down on top of the float. He knew right then what was going on and started smiling and laughing because he was being carried by me.

With Tyler firmly on my float and my mom holding onto him just in case, we started walking towards downstairs. Tyler was beside himself with joy. This was entirely different than me just holding him in my arms. He could actually see farther than he ever could before. Every noise that came from him was one of happiness and joy.

There were no problems at any point of the "ride." Hallways, stairs, door frames-all were no problem at all. When we reached the dining table, I think Tyler tried to prolong his time on my float as much as he could. He hugged himself closer to my head and tried not to get off, but my mom was still able to easily lift him off of me.

He started to pout a little bit after he was set in his chair; he didn't want his fun to have ended so abruptly. I took my seat next to his and leaned over to him. "Don't worry. I'll give you more rides like that later."

He immediately understood what I meant by that because he dropped the pout and put on another smile. I just hope I'll still be around to give him more rides. That mountain might-no. No, don't even think like that anymore. Nothing will happen on that mountain. We will find Katie, and that's it. We'll bring her home safely and with all of us safe as well.

* * *

Dinner went by fairly quickly. There really wasn't any talk by either of my parents the whole time. Normally they always talked up a storm about their days or something like that. I wonder why they're so quiet tonight.

Because I had to get up early tomorrow, I decided to go to bed earlier than normal. Just as I got to the stairs, however, my dad stopped me.

"Isaac, sit down for a minute. We need to talk," he told me. Talk about what? I don't really understand what he means right now…

"Ok." I moved over to the couch and sat down. Both my parents were staring directly at me. I started to get a little uneasy because I have a slight idea what they might want to talk about.

"So, Isaac, what are you planning to do tomorrow?" my dad asked bluntly. Just like earlier in the day, I froze up. I was right. They were still pushing the fact that I might be up to something, but how they were able to figure that out, I don't know. I just hope they don't know more than they're letting on…

"I'm just going to the lake to talk with Sean some more," I blatantly lied again, this time to my dad. I'm still trying not to just break down and tell them everything. Doing so might compromise Sean as well.

My dad just got enraged at my response. The look in his eyes told me he somehow knew I was lying. "Isaac, why are you lying to us?" he said, slightly even more irritated. I could easily tell he was trying not to just either beat me down or scold me like never before.

Should I keep playing innocent? Or should I just come clean but not reveal Sean has a part in the plan? I just don't know anymore… "Isaac, answer me!" he shouted, his voice on borderline screaming. No matter what I thought of, nothing would change their minds that I was lying to them unless I tell them something completely outrageous.

"Isaac, we know what you're planning to do," my mom suddenly said. My eyes shot wide open. They… knew? How..? I never told them anything or ever mentioned what I saw or what was planned, so how did they know? "Isaac, what are you thinking? You could get yourself killed if you tried that."

I hung my head low. My eyes started to water up again. "I know, but I really wanted to save Katie. She's on the mountain, I saw it in a vision in the lake, but Sean said that they already searched the mountain. The only way we could save Katie now is to go up there ourselves." They already knew everything, so why lie about it anymore? I'm sorry Sean, Katie. There's nothing I can do now.

I raised my head up just enough to see the faces of my parents. I expected them to be filled with anger, but they looked more like they were shocked at what I just said. That shouldn't be right… They already knew about everything… Didn't they? Or did they just act like they did until I flat-out told them? If the latter's true, then that means… they lied to me…

"Isaac, what were you thinking?" my mom again asked that question. That seals it. They lied to me. They didn't know a thing until I told them. They tricked me into revealing our plan. I was feeling many different emotions, but the most prominent one was that of anger. Every hair on my body was standing on end, my paws were clenched into fists, and I even barred my teeth.

Every single nerve in my body was saying to just telling me to attack these two and run away… but… if I did that, what would I accomplish? My dad-and even my mom-could easily take me down, especially with my arm out. And running away? What good would that do me? My parents would easily find me no matter where I go.

Also, is there any justification for me being angry at them? They lied to me, but I lied to them first. Their anger at me is justified; mine to them isn't. There's just nothing left for me to do. All I can do is just wait for them to say something.

"Isaac, what could you possibly do on that mountain? You're in no condition to even consider doing something so reckless!" my dad stated, "And even if you did manage to climb the mountain, what would you do if you had to fight? You were barely able to live after a fight with a Staraptor; what would happen if you met a Dragonite?"

All of those points were true, but it wouldn't be just me. Sean and Chris would also be there. Plus Chris said he had interacted with the Dragons before, and he came out alive. I can't just abandon the plan now. The three of us are finding Katie tomorrow, no matter what my parents say.

"Isaac, I'm afraid we have to ground you for lying to us and for planning something so reckless," my dad said. I didn't care though. I'm still going forward with the plan. I'm sorry Mom, Dad… Tyler… but I have to do this for Katie's sake. "Now go to your room and go to sleep. However, you are not to leave your room until one of us comes and gets you, understand?"

I gave a half-hearted nod. Right before sunrise, I'll find some way to get out without them noticing. I know that by doing this, I'm going against everything I've been raised under, but I just feel that it's right to go after Katie. She saved me once, now it's my turn to save her, and this time, truly save her.

I got up from the couch and headed for my room, a bit of anger still coursing through me. I passed by my parents without a word. All that needed to be said already has been.

The second I got to my room, I started to plan out how exactly I was gonna leave to meet with Sean and Chris. They said that they were going to get me when morning comes, so I've gotta figure a way to stall them at the door. There's not really a lot I can use in my room to barricade the door, but I'll figure some... thing... out… What am I doing? I have all the right reasons for doing this, but why does it still feel wrong? I know... Katie... Blocking the door, running away-the exact same thing she did I'm planning to do.

If I do do all that, then how will that make my parents feel? Katie's parents feel completely miserable I'm guessing. They don't know where she is, but if I disappear, mine will know where I am, and they'll worry about my safety. Everyone is worried about me-Sean, Chris, my parents, everyone! But it's not me they should be worried about.

Katie is who all the attention should be on. She's been missing for a week now, and if she hasn't eaten anything since I last saw her, she's probably dying of starvation. That is, unless the Dragons haven't already... No! Stop thinking like that!

…There's nothing I can do now. Just like last time, something has stopped me from being able to help Katie. I'm just completely useless. I'll just have to hope that Sean and Chris are able to still go and that they'll find her.

Katie... Please be safe...


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Well, I've suppose I'll add one of these just because I like to. There was a lot that happens in this chapter, and I didn't really want to split it up anywhere (nor was there anywhere that I could have...) so that's why it's so dang long. This chapter is, by far, the longest I've ever made any chapter of any story. Microsoft Word count hit it at 9,789 words. The second longest one is 8500 some-odd, so a jump of over a thousand words is just wow to me. That, alongside the fact that a majority of every other chapter reaches about 5-6k words... Yea... Ok, end rant. I'll shut up now. Enjoy!**

* * *

I can't sleep. How long has it been since I told my parents what I'm doing? It's still dark out, so it couldn't have been that long. Man, why am I so useless? This is the second time I've had a chance to help Katie… and I blew it again. I've probably also blown it for Sean. My parents are probably gonna tell his what we're doing, and that's gonna get him in trouble. All I wanted was to try and help Katie again… but now I'll never get that chance…

"Isaac, may I come in?" someone, while knocking on the door, asked.

I didn't want to respond, but what would be the point of that? "Yea, what do you want?" I asked back.

The door slowly opened and my mom entered my room. Even though it was dark out, I knew it was my mom from her voice. She closed the door and lit up the candle on my shelf. She came over and sat on the edge of my bed, causing it to swing a little before stabilizing again.

"Well? Come to yell at me or something?" I said with ire.

"Isaac, stop that. I just came to ask you what compelled you to even think about climbing the mountain in your condition." She looked straight at me. "And why you lied to us about it."

"I… saw something. Something at the lake. It was something only I saw-a vision of Katie on the mountain. It's been a week since she disappeared; I just wanted to believe what I saw was the truth."

"Isaac, they already searched the mountain. She's not there," my mom replied.

"Sean already told me that," I snapped back, "but I think that whoever searched the mountain just skimmed it. Everyone's afraid of it, so it makes sense to me that they didn't do a good enough search."

"Isaac, you can't make assumptions like that. I know how badly you miss Katie, but you have to be patient. She'll turn up eventually."

"Yea, and eventually she'll be dead," I said bluntly. My eyes started to water, tears falling soon after. "She's been gone a week, Mom. How much longer do you think she'll survive? I don't want to just sit here and wait to hear about her. I want to do something about it. I saw a lead, and I want to follow it."

My mom stayed silent for a few seconds before getting up off my bed. She walked to the middle of the room before turning back towards me. "Who else was going to go with you?"

"Someone Sean knew. He's a Zangoose named Chris. He told me he's met with the Dragon types before and knew a way up that would be easy," I replied.

My mom turned back around. "When were you going to leave?" she asked another question.

"Early this morning," I replied again.

She walked back over to the side of my bed. "And even though we know, do you still plan to try and go with them?"

I sat myself up in my bed. "Mom… I... will try," I finally said.

She turned back around and looked at the ceiling. "So, you'd go against your parents to help your friend. Am I hearing this right, Isaac?"

I froze up again but still managed to meep out my reply. "Yea… That's right."

"You are stubborn to a fault, Isaac," my mom stated. "But… so was your father." She turned around again. "Isaac, you are still young, but you are growing up. You are getting old enough to know your own strengths and limits. You know that you can't do this alone, so you went and found the most willing help available." She paused for a minute. "You are listening to us."

Ok… Now I'm getting confused. Why is she saying all of this? "Mom, where are you going with all of this?"

"It's not fully important right now, Isaac," she told me. "Get some sleep. You have a long day tomorrow." She blew out the candle she lit moments earlier and left my room, leaving it-and me-in the dark.

Where was she going with asking all those questions? And what did she mean when I have a long day tomorrow? She said I know my strengths and limits, and that I found the most willing help, and that I'm listening to them? What does she mean? Unless… Unless she plans on letting me go to the mountain tomorrow? That can't be true… can it? She was completely shocked when she learned the truth and said I'd get myself killed if I went. Did she really have that quick a change of heart? Is she really going to let me go?

She… she couldn't. There's no way she'd let me do that. Besides, how would she persuade my father? He's the one who grounded me. I doubt that he'd have the same change of heart. But… what if she already has? What if they've talked again while I was asleep? It's just like when Tyler first came home, when my dad yelled at me for calling him 'Shrimp.' He said they talked about the night before, and my mom persuaded him to her view. Maybe… maybe this time it's no different.

No… No, it is different. This isn't a silly nickname. This is me climbing a mountain governed by the Dragon types. He was pissed at me for considering it, and I don't think he'd be so quick to change his mind. But there's always the possibility that my mom would let me go even without my dad's approval. Would she really do that, though?

I don't know… I can't know. I haven't a clue what's going on in my mom's head right now. I have so many questions… but maybe it's best if I just leave them for tomorrow.

Katie… just hang on a little longer.

* * *

"You… can't be serious. You're going to let him climb the mountain?" I heard a voice-my father-from outside my room. It was loud enough to wake me up. It's not that dark out… The sun must just be coming up. This is when I was supposed to meet with Sean and Chris… Is my mom really gonna let me go?

"Yes, I am serious. He's not a little kid anymore," my mom said.

"But he's still only ten years old! And has a broken arm! What good is he gonna do on the mountain!" I cringed after I heard that. I still don't know if what I'm doing is right, but I don't want to sit around. I'm not going to sit around. I won't be a hindrance.

"It's the reason he has that arm that I'm letting him go. If it didn't break and he saw that vision of Katie on the mountain, he might not have gotten help from Sean or Chris!" my mom argued. She has a really good point-if she knows it or not. I don't really know what I might've done if I hadn't broken this arm…

"That's also one thing I don't understand… This vision-how can we know it was real or not?"

"It was real to him. We both know that there actually is something in that lake, and it revealed itself to Isaac for a reason."

Ok, I'm definitely confused now… My mom said that I shouldn't be chasing after legends and stuff last night… so why did she just say that they're real? Must be something I don't know… but that's not an important detail right now.

"Ok, I'll grant you that, but there's just one other thing that bothers me. Chris. You said he was a Zangoose, right? I've heard some rumors about this guy. He used to work with Sean's father with scouting. The details were foggy, but when they found something that they ended up angering, he up and left Sean's father to save his own hide! How do we know we can trust this guy?"

"Sean apparently trusts him; he's the one who showed Chris to Isaac in the first place."

"No, I'm not going to risk it. Isaac is not going," my dad said firmly. Great… He's still adamant on keeping me grounded… If this keeps up…

"I've already talked with Isaac about this. He told me that, no matter what, he'd try and go to help his friend; even though it meant disobeying us," my mom replied.

"He's that stubborn?"

"Not too much unlike you, is he?"

There was a bit of a pause after my mom said that. Something happened with my dad that I don't know about… Hehe, I wonder if they'll tell me…

"…Fine."

Hmm? Wait… did he just say what I think he said?

I heard my mom let out a sigh. "Thank you. We have to let him grow up sometime."

"Go… pack him some food. I need to talk with him."

I heard footsteps retreating and also my door opening. My dad entered the room shortly after. "So, I guess you heard all of that, eh?"

"Yea. Why don't you want me to go? I know I have this arm busted up, but I can still help out," I told him, trying to keep his decision to let me go solid.

"I don't want to hear what you can and can't do," he said sternly at first, but then his voice trailed off. "I just want one thing from you. I want you to promise me you won't do anything reckless. I want you to promise me that you'll come back here, to me and your mom and Tyler, safely." He looked at me with a look I've never seen of him before.

"Dad…" That look… It was… Jeez, I can't even describe it, but if there's one thing present, it's an immense worry for me. He's my dad, and he's supposed to worry about me, but… this is just different somehow.

"Isaac, do I have your promise?"

"I promise. I won't let you down." I jumped out of my bed and stood in front of him. "Don't worry. I know my limits."

"I'm holding that to you. I-and I'm sure your mom and Tyler too-will never forgive you if anything happens to you. Got it?"

"Yup."

"Good. Come; the sun's almost up. That's when you were gonna sneak off, right?"

I scratched the back of my head a little. "Well, it's not sneaking off now, is it?"

"Yes. It still is. Rather, it will be once you start towards the mountain. Just be careful, alright? Those guards are really pesky sometimes…"

I looked up at my dad with a look of confusion planted on my face. If that wasn't suspicious, I don't know what is…

* * *

Downstairs, my mom handed me the little food sack she left to prepare. It was just a simple piece of cloth with berries in the middle and the four corners tied together to make a makeshift bag. She didn't add much, which was expected. I mean, it's not like we're going to be gone for days on end, right?

I grabbed the bag and slung it over my shoulder. It seemed a bit odd, though-this whole trip now. I did not have to sneak out of my house…

"You'd better get going. They'll leave you behind if you're late," my mom said.

Their new calmness about this is also a bit unsettling… but I guess I shouldn't knock it. At least I won't have to return home to a scolding…

Instead of saying anything, I just nodded my head. I opened up our front door and left for Chris' house. The sun's still not over the horizon yet. I should be fine for time.

* * *

Man… it's way too quiet in the morning. I've never woken up this early, so this is the first time I've seen the town like this. Everyone still asleep… man, it's unsettling. But I suppose it's also a good thing. There's no one to question me about where I'm going with a bag of berries. Still… I'd better take the long way. I don't need any other obstacles in my way right now.

The 'long way' isn't actually longer than the normal route. If anything, it's a short-cut. Cutting through the trees that are a bit behind my house will keep me concealed and also make it easier to get to Chris' house. The normal way was going through the main marketplace and go from there, but this way I can skip that and go straight to his house. Hopefully I don't see anyone…

The minutes passed as I made my way through the forest. I can't tell the sun's location, but I still should be fine… that is, if this quiet doesn't drive me insane. A no previous time has it been this quiet! I mean, at least at the cliff edge there's the waterfall to make some noise… This is just unnatural.

Another minute passed before I saw the rows of houses again. Now all I had to do was get to the right one… Crap. I think it would've been good for me to have remembered which house Sean showed me yesterday… I can't just knock on any door and hope it's the right one… Jeez, what do I do?

"Hey, good to see you made it." I jumped ten feet from where I was when I heard that. I turned my head around to see my best friend, Sean, standing there with a grin on his face. "Jeez, did I scare you that much?"

"Yes!" I hissed back, trying to keep quiet. "You scared the life out of me!"

"Well, I saw you trekking through the trees, so I thought I'd join you. Though, I can tell you also can't remember where Chris lives, do you?"

I shook my head. I hadn't a clue where to start looking.

"Well, that's fine. I'll get us there… Hey, what's in the sack?" Sean asked.

"Oh, just some berries. You never know when they'd come in handy," I replied.

"You took some berries from your storage? Jeez, dude. Your parents are gonna flip when they learn about that."

"Oh, yea… Right." I wonder if I should mention that I cracked and that both my parents knew about this. Err… it's not important now. I'll leave it be. "But that doesn't matter. C'mon, get us to Chris."

He nodded and started towards the row of homes. He turned off to the left a bit before circling around one of the houses. He knocked quietly on the door, which means this must be Chris' house. Huh. Guess I wasn't that far off…

"Well, well. You guys are right on time," Chris said from behind the door. He opened it and joined us outside. "No sense wasting the cover we'll lose when the sun comes up, so let's get moving."

Sean and I both nodded our heads. Chris took off towards the mountain, and the two of us followed quickly after. He was running straight down the middle of the road, though… Even under normal circumstances this would've appeared odd. There must be a method to his madness, though.

"Hey, Chris, how long will it take us to reach the mountain?" Sean quietly asked.

"Not too long if the guards don't give us much trouble," he replied. "But don't worry; they're all as lazy as can be. It's been too long since someone tried to get to the mountain. They're all relaxed and lazy. This will be a cakewalk compared to when I went up there."

"I hope you're right," I added in. This wasn't some exploration to the mountain. We are going there to find our missing friend. I can't lose sight of that… Pray to Arceus she's safe…

"Alright, we're nearing the border. Get to the trees," Chris said curtly. With even less signal, he darted straight into the trees. It took me and Sean a second to compensate, but we didn't fall too far behind. We were all hidden in the trees shortly after. "This is the tricky part. The guards rotate watch every-so-often. We just have to make our move when they do."

"I thought you said this'd be a cakewalk," I said sharply. If this part's tricky, why'd he say it was easy?

"Hey, it will be. Trust me. I think the one on watch now is a Grumpig. Chances are he's fast asleep. It'll take the replacement watch a few minutes to wake him up."

He turned his gaze back over to a certain tree on the far side of the clearing near us. Sean and I looked over there as well. Sure enough, just like Chris said, we saw the replacement watch, a Vigoroth, jump over to that tree.

"Ok… ready?" Chris asked, but I don't think he was waiting for an answer… "Go!" He darted off into the clearing milliseconds before he said 'go.' Sean and I again struggled to make up lost ground, me especially considering I can't run on all fours. I kept myself as low to the ground as I could without falling over. I was falling behind a bit but not by much.

From that guard tree I heard the Vigoroth. "Hey, c'mon, you lazy bum. Wake up. We gotta follow shifts. Hey, can you hear me? Hey!" Again, Chris was also right about that guard being impossible to wake up. I guess this is pretty easy after all.

We were in that clearing for less than a minute. We regrouped on the other side, the mountain's side.

Chris seemed pretty impressed at us, though I think it was me in particular… "Good job, you two. Now all we have to do is get up the mountain to the trail. There's a buddy of mine up there who can help us with the full search," he said.

Great… he knows a Dragon personally? This guy is an enigma to me… Everything's been so confusing this past week. Katie running away, that bird, Tyr; my parents, Chris. Jeez… What's going on right now?

The sun finally showed itself at this time. The very top of it rose over the horizon. It was morning.

"Alright. Let's get a move on," Chris said. "We've got a bit of ground to cover."

By the time we made it to the base of the mountain, the sun was now almost fully visible. Just a little bit of its bottom half stayed hidden. We managed to make the most of the darkness, though. "Ok, once we walk up this trail a bit, there's gonna be a cliff we'll have to climb," Chris explained. "Let's hope you can make it, Isaac."

"I'll be fine; don't worry about me," I responded. "Let's get going." We'll find you, Katie. Just hold on.

"Hey, Isaac." Sean tapped at my side. "Are you one-hundred percent sure you'll be able to climb this mountain?" he asked.

"Yea, don't worry about me. I may not be able to use my right arm, but I do have one useful tail," I said, swishing it around a bit. "It'll make up for my broken arm."

"Did you have that planned? Or did you just come up with that?" Chris asked from ahead of us.

"Well, I've used my tail for other tasks before, and I figured it'd work for this too."

"Pretty dang clever if ya ask me. This giant lump of a tail isn't as useful."

"I don't even think my tail would be able to work like that," Sean added in. "At least you'll be able to keep up."

"Yea…" Truth is, I'm not so sure that this idea will work. While it's true I've used my tail for carrying around extra objects, they were all fairly light in comparison to-well-me.

The talking we did made the time and the walking pass fairly quickly. Before long, we were at the cliff Chris had mentioned earlier. It wasn't any Mount Coronet, but it was still a pretty high climb… I slammed my tail against the ground a few times to get it ready for the climb… Time to see if this idea will work.

"Well, no sense gawking," Chris stated in his rather impatient manner, though it wasn't an unwelcome attitude. There isn't any time to waste. "I'll start us off." And with that he dug his claws into the side of the mountain and started up. Sean was next to follow, going up next to where Chris started.

"Oh boy…" I muttered before placing my foot on the wall. It seemed solid, so I placed my good paw up higher and pulled myself up. My other foot followed, and I was off the ground. I moved my tail as high up as I could before gripping it along the wall. I pulled down a bit to make sure I wouldn't fall and released my weight on my feet.

My tail held its ground, and I easily climbed up the wall a bit. To balance out my climbing, I kept my tail on my right side, and that just made the climb that much easier. I stole a gaze up to see Chris nearly halfway up and Sean a few yards behind him. I was only less than a quarter of the way up but was making progress.

"Hey, Isaac! How's your tail trick working out for ya?" Chris yelled down to me.

"It works! I'll be up there soon!" I shouted up.

"Good to hear! Let me know if you have any problems!"

I seem to be doing fine for now. There are plenty of solid areas for me to get a grip on. I wasn't as fast as they were, but, hey, as long as I make it up there.

By the time I just passed the halfway mark, Chris managed to make it all the way up. Sean was just a bit below the three-quarters mark. It seemed that even he was having a difficult time climbing, seemingly more so than I was. Well, he is a Pikachu-not too suited for climbing rocks. Trees are more their style.

I just kept a steady pace, looking for every solid handhold. However, there was this one little rock above me that seemed out of place… It was colored different from the rest of the rock wall. I grabbed onto it to test it and it didn't move, but I was still curious.

"Hey! What'cha doin'! Let go of me!" a voice called out. Instantly after, the rock shot up the side of the cliff. I held onto it as hard as possible, trying not to fall off. I passed right by Sean who I could hear was calling out my name. Chris was yelling too, but I didn't think enough to hear what he was saying. All I wanted to do was hold on.

The rock eventually ran out of cliff wall to scale and shot up into the sky, with me still along for the ride. I could now see it wasn't a rock but a Pokemon instead. I pushed off from it, pushing myself to the spot where Chris was standing. I tried to correct myself to attempt to land on my feet, but I'm not too good in the sky… At how I was falling, I was gonna land on my back.

"Hang on! I got ya!" Chris yelled. He appeared underneath me just as I was a few feet above the ground. "You alright?" he asked as he set me down. I just nodded my head. That was not fun… "Well, you managed to catch a short-cut on that Gible."

"Gible? Is that a Dragon-type?"

"Yea, but a low leveled one. They're also Ground-types, so they lose the Dragon's resistance to water. Just though I'd let you know."

"Isaac!" I turned around to see Sean making his way over the ledge onto solid ground again. He was winded but seemed more worried for me. "Dude, you alright?"

"Yea, I'm fine, Sean. Catch your breath," I called back to him.

He took a deep breath. "Whew… What was that?"

"Apparently it was a Pokemon called Gible," I responded.

"Yea… though something's not right… I think I know that Gible," Chris stated.

"You do?" Both Sean and I said simultaneously.

"Yea… We may be in trouble…" he said reluctantly.

"Trouble? Why?" I asked. I got my answer quickly. The entire ground started to shake with fury. "Gah! What's happening? An earthquake?"

"No, not an earthquake," Chris replied. "Reinforcements."

As soon as he said that, three plumes of dust shot up a few yards away. One of the plumes was fairly small, but the other two were over twice as large.

The dust up front, the smaller plume, settled first, revealing that Gible from before. "Hehe… This'll teach ya not to mess with me when I'm asleep," it taunted. The other two plumes settled to reveal two much larger versions of that little Gible. Their claws were more pronounced, that fin on their head larger, and they just looked overall menacing.

"Gabite," Chris quietly said. "Listen, we didn't come here for a fight. We gotta find my buddy to help us. She'll guide us around the mountain."

"Well, I don't think your friend can help us now," Sean said. "These three look ready for a fight."

That couldn't have been truer. The two Gabite stepped in front of the Gible, showing off their claws. "Alright, which one of you cretins woke our brother up from his nap?" one of them said.

"It was that one, the Buizel!" Gible called out from behind them, pointing at me.

"So, ignoring the obvious fact of you're not supposed to be here anyways, we're gonna kill you for messing with our brother," the Gabite said.

Chris put his arm in front of me. "Hey, you want him, you go through me!"

"Oh? Don't we know you? Hmm, yes, a few years back. We were caught in this same situation, no? Except you were fighting for your own life. Had Irene not come to your rescue, you'd have died. But… she's not here to save you this time."

"What?" Chris shouted out. "What happened to her?"

The Gabite started laughing together, mockingly. "She's fallen ill. No one, not even our leader, can figure out why. It looks like the end of the line for four Pokemon: you three and Irene." The trio burst into laughter again.

Sean moved behind Chris as well during all of this. If what Chris said earlier is true, all three of these guys are also Ground-types; therefore immune to electricity. None of Sean's attacks, save for his Iron Tail, will work on these guys. Chris, however, looked completely enraged. Whoever they were talking about earlier, Irene, must be his friend up here, and she's sick.

"Well, enough talk. It's time to finish what we started." Both Gabite dashed directly towards us.

"Stay back, you two. This is a personal fight now," Chris ordered.

"We'll jump in only if we feel we need to," Sean replied. I nodded in affirmation.

"Let's hope it doesn't come to that…" Chris took off towards the two as well.

"Well, the Buizel can wait. We'll take you out first!" one of the Gabite screamed out. It formed in between its claws a blue-green sphere of energy. I saw Chris react by holding his two claws apart and having a solid blue sphere form in the air between. The Gabite's attack I wasn't familiar with, but with Chris' I was. He had a Focus Blast ready.

The two released their attacks in unison. The two balls of energy met mid-air and blew up. The cloud of dust that got thrown up covered the Gabite and Chris, preventing him from seeing the other Gabite charge into the dust. It all quickly settled, showing Chris narrowly avoid the Gabite's Slash.

Chris fell backward to dodge it, so he flipped himself over and gave a Slash of his own at the Gabite. He was able to move fast enough to just graze against the Gabite. "You've gotten quicker… but you're still too slow," one of them said. That one's claw started to glow the same blue-green as that energy attack before. Chris was able to react even faster than before this time, distancing himself from the Gabite just as it swung its claw down.

"I'm not as weak as I was all those years ago," Chris stated. "Don't underestimate me."

"Heh, looks like we have to stop holding back. We wanted to drag out our victory, but if you're able to dodge so well… No restrictions." The two of them started glowing blue-green. That glow must be akin to the Dragons or something…

"Dragon Dance… If that's how you want to play, I'll play. I still won't lose to you."

The two Gabite just smirked. "We'll see about that." And they were at it again. The Gabite's speed looked to be much faster than before, and their attacks looked more powerful. Chris was having a tough time getting a counterattack in.

Something didn't sit right with me… "Hold on…" I looked around the cliff edge. "Where'd that Gible go?" The Gible wasn't anywhere to be seen. Either he fled… or…

"Isaac, look out!" Sean screamed. I turned around to see that Gible behind me, about to hit me with its Rock Smash. I froze up. I'm not gonna be able to move fast enough to dodge. However, Sean was and managed to intercept it with his Iron Tail, sending the Gible flying. "You alright?"

"Y-Yea…" I stuttered out. I can't allow myself to get careless like that… I still have a promise to keep. "That was some save; I owe you one."

"You can pay me back now. None of my Electric type attacks work on these guys, but your Water type attacks can deal some damage. C'mon, Chris has his fight; we have our own."

"Yea. Right."

The Gible was back on its feet already, but Sean and I were ready for it this time. "Hmm, I would say it's a two-on-one, but you have a broken arm, and your attacks don't even work. So now I say it's a one-on-one-half!" It burst out in laughter after it finished.

That just got me angry, though. "Hey! I may have a broken arm, but I'm still strong enough to take you out!" Arceus, I hope so…

"And Electric type attacks aren't all I have!" Sean called out immediately afterward. That's right… I'm not alone. Together, we have enough power to take down this single Dragon type.

"I'm still a Dragon, one of the strongest! I will never lose, just like my brothers!" It yelled back. I took a quick glance back to Chris. He was distanced from the Gabite and had another Focus Blast ready. He seemed to be doing well against those two, so there isn't any worry about him.

"You ready, Sean?" I asked.

"Anytime you are, Isaac."

This was not going to be fun… Might as well try and do some damage from a distance while we're still apart. "I'll start this off!" I sucked in as much breath as I could before focusing the inner water Water types have in them for my Water Gun. The jet flew toward the Gible, but he simply went underground to dodge.

"Great, now how are we supposed to fight him?" Sean asked, frustrated.

"Keep your head, Sean. We have to pay attention for when he comes up." I looked around for any sign, but there was none. "Jeez, where'd he go?" All I could hear was the battle between Chris and the Gabite behind me. Nothing else…

"Ok, hang on… Heh, I got an idea." Sean jumped into the air and started spinning head-over-heels. The speed he was spinning was impressive, but it left me wondering what he was doing next. His plan suddenly came to me, and I knew I had to act fast. I was closer to the edge than he was, so I quickly replaced myself closer to the mountain. Sean's tail started shining just as he slammed it into the ground. With all the energy he put into it, Sean's Iron Tail felt like it shook the entire mountain.

It did its job, though. Under the ground, through the cracks, we could hear that Gible crying out in pain. Getting slammed under so much rock must've hurt.

Unfortunately, the Gabite also heard. "Hey! What are you doing to our brother?" one of them yelled. He broke away from fighting Chris to change targets to Sean. Just like with me and the Gible before, I intercepted the Gabite before he got to Sean with a Water Gun.

However… this guy was a lot stronger than the Gible… He easily shook off my attack. "So, you want to be first, eh?" Dang it… I don't have anywhere to go, and there's no way Sean can blindside this guy…

But, I got saved again. Chris managed to break free from the other Gabite to fire off a Focus Blast, one that flew right in front of the Gabite. "Hey! Your fight's with me, bub," Chris called out.

"I suppose it is. We can take care of these two afterwards." The Gabite again changed targets, focusing again on Chris. Unfortunately for him, he also turned his back to Sean.

I still don't know what goes on in Sean's mind, but he sometimes has moments of brilliance. Chris' Focus Blast missed, so the Gabite thought that was the last of it, but Sean had other ideas. He ran over and used his Iron Tail as a bat to hit the Focus Blast back. The attack somehow managed to stay intact and not blow up in Sean's face and traveled back to the Gabite.

I knew the Gabite wouldn't be taken out by it, but if I followed up with something, that might. But what do I use? Well, Water Gun seems to be the only thing I can think of… The attack blindsided the Gabite, causing him to lose his balance. Following up, I blasted him with my Water Gun, fully making him lose balance and fall flat down.

"Hey, I'm not being left out of this team attack!" Sean yelled out. I turned my head, but he wasn't where he was before. Instead, he was in the sky, spinning again. He slammed down with Iron Tail just like he did earlier, this time on the Gabite's back.

The triple dose of damage, coupled with the fact that he had already been worn out a bit by fighting Chris, meant that he was down and out. I could hear more moans coming from underground, too. The Gible must've taken some more damage when Sean slammed down again. So that's two down, one left. Things are looking up for us.

"What is going on down here!" a voice bellowed out. It came from above us, but just as I craned my neck back, a massive figure slammed into the ground behind the last standing Gabite. Another plume of dust obscured our view, but as it settled, the figure became visible. Just like with the Gible and the Gabite, this one looked like the two but larger and darker.

Chris seemed really freaked out too. "Chris, who is that?" Sean asked from behind.

He just stared blankly. He slowly turned his head towards us. "Run…"

I tilted my head a bit. "Run? But why? What're you gonna do?" I asked.

"Don't waste time. Run!"

"Do not move a muscle, little one," the large Pokemon stated. "You're going to pay for injuring my sons."

"Your sons? Maybe you should tell them not to pick random fights with others," Sean called out.

"I said get out of here!" Chris snapped back. "There's no way even all three of us can deal with him, but I can at least hold him off for you two to get away!"

Sean reeled back a bit at Chris' words and seemed to understand what he meant. I understood too. Chris knew this was a hopeless situation, but he didn't want us hurt. He'd be willing to sacrifice himself to give us a chance.

But… that isn't what I wanted to have happen… I just wanted to be on and off this mountain, hopefully with Katie. I never wanted us to get in this situation… But we are, and we're in this together. I'm not going to leave anyone to get hurt on my account. I just can't.

"Chris, I'm not going to leave," I told him.

"What? Isaac, we don't have time for this!" he yelled back.

"Seriously, dude, we should run. Chris is the only one with any chance against that guy," Sean said. "Why do you want to stay?"

"I never wanted this… I only wanted to find Katie and leave. But now that we're here, I'm not going to let someone else get hurt for me. This whole thing was my idea, so I'd be responsible if someone got hurt… I can't run and have that happen."

"Isaac, is that really how you feel?" Sean asked me. I just nodded my head in reply. "Jeez… Then I'll stay too. I wouldn't want anything to happen to my friends if I ran, too."

Chris just stared at us. All this time, the Dragon types just stared too. The large, final evolution one broke out in laughter. "Foolish children. You would've been wise to flee. Like this Zangoose said, even all three of you are no match for me. He knew this from our last encounter. This same situation happened long ago. He fought and won against these two here, but when I came, he fell. I would've killed him if it weren't for that accursed Irene."

This story again… but with a bit more detail. Bottom line is Chris got saved by this Irene, but she's sick right now. But now the question is… what do we do? We don't have anyone coming to save us.

"Now then, are we done here? Good, because now it's time for you all to die," the large Pokemon said. That blue-green energy I've familiarized with Dragon types surrounded it, but so much more intensely than I've seen before. We are in for a fight…

"Enough!"

A voice screeched out from above us all. As I looked up, a beam of blue and white shot down the mountain, freezing everything in its path. It crossed in front of us, creating a wall of ice between the Dragon types and us.

Through the ice, I saw the large Pokemon seem to freeze up as if he got hit with that Ice Beam. Oddly enough… Chris looked the same way. Sean just looked amazed at that wall of ice but then turned his head skyward. I did too. I wanted to see what exactly just saved our tails.

Still flying high in the sky was a large blue Pokemon with wings that looked like clouds. Behind it, though, were two more Dragon types: one a larger blue Dragon with red wings, and the other more familiar to me, Dragonite.

"Three Dragons…" I said quietly. "And they're on our side." I gotta say this: I don't know what all the others are so afraid about. I can understand being scared of the Gible, Gabite, and whatever the final evolution is called, but those three up there? That's just an incredible sight.

Suddenly, though, the one who fired the Ice Beam started losing altitude. Its wings weren't flapping very evenly. Then, it just stopped altogether and started falling. The Dragonite looked back at the other Dragon type, giving a short nod. Instantly after, it shot down and caught the falling Pokemon on its back. All three of them then landed right in front of us.

The Dragonite came over to us first. I didn't know what to think. Was it friendly, or was it going to tell us to leave?

"Hello, all," it said calmly. "I hope that Garchomp and his family didn't give you too much trouble." Neither I nor Sean could say a word. This Dragonite's initial attitude just went against everything we've been taught about Dragon types. We couldn't even reply. "Ah, I see you're a little surprised. You're from that village at the base of the mountain, no?"

"Y-Yea. We are," I managed to reply.

"Then what, if I may ask, are you doing up here?"

"We're looking for a friend of ours," I said more solidly.

"Ah, a friend. Maybe my friend could help you, though she's not feeling too well right now… Even I can't figure out why," the Dragonite said.

"Wait, 'she?' And she's sick?" That sounds a lot like that Irene that Gabite mentioned and Chris freaked over about. "Is her name Irene?" I asked.

"Hmm? Oh, yes. Yes it is. How did you know that?"

"Our other friend Chris said that she was his friend from a few years ago."

"Chris, you say? I think I remember a fellow from a few years back by that name. In fact…" The Dragonite looked over at the aggressive Dragon types behind the wall of ice. "Yes, it's all coming back to me. This all happened fairly the same a few years ago. So that's what Irene meant…"

"Excuse me. Could I say something?" Sean spoke up. "This is nuts. We were always told that the Dragon types were fiercely territorial, yet here you are just talking to us like we're able to be here. What am I to believe?"

"Believe? What do you believe right now?" Sean reeled back at the Dragonite's question to him. He hung his head and ears down and just looked at the ground. Seems like he doesn't know what to believe. Can't say that I know what to believe either… "Do not be discouraged. I will tell you my dream. First, I shall do something I should've said before this conversation. My name is Aether, and I am the leader of the Dragons of this mountain.

Both mine and Sean's eyes shot open when we heard that. All this time we've been talking to the leader of the Dragons? "No… no way! You're the leader?" I blurted out.

"Ha ha ha… Is that such a surprise? Yes, I am. And my dream is to end the false accusations given to all Dragon types through the dealings of a small faction of our population." He gazed over towards the Pokemon behind the ice. "I will never condone the actions taken by those four. I did not do so four years ago, either. There are no second chances this time."

The tone of this Pokemon just changed completely. From beneath that calm manner came a complete seriousness. He walked right past Chris, Irene, and the other Dragon right towards the ice wall. With one swift punch, he shattered the entire thing to pieces. All four of them were now awake again and standing. Aether just kept walking towards them.

"I told you… four years ago; the last time Irene came to me for help. I warned you that if you ever pulled something like this again…" A burst of energy loosed itself from Aether's body. The sheer force of it nearly blew me off my feet! "I would show you no mercy!" The waves of energy just kept coming from him! No wonder he's their leader!

The Garchomp didn't look like he wanted to give up so easily though. "I will not lose! You will fall here and now, Aether!" Garchomp shouted out. He then rushed straight at Aether, completely surrounded by a blue-green energy.

"You will not succeed," Aether said calmly. "Begone." The energy waves from Aether stopped, but now he started gathering the energy. The Garchomp inched closer and closer to Aether with its attack but was still yards away when Aether released all his stored energy. Waves of the same energy the Garchomp radiated met with it. The Garchomp was easily overpowered and sent flying by the powerful strike. He stopped at the side of the mountain, completely out cold.

The Gabite and Gible looked completely terrified. Aether started to walk back to where we were but stopped just as he took a few steps. "When he wakes up, you are all to leave this place and never return. Do not go to the village at the foot of the mountain either. Leave to the east. That is the only way I'll allow you to go," he said calmly and started walking back towards us again. The Gabite picked up their unconscious father as best they could and took off down the path away from us.

"Well, we were at least taught right that they were powerful," Sean said jokingly.

"That's an understatement," I replied though. These guys were beyond powerful-at least once fully evolved.

"You two, come over here. It seems there's something you request of Irene," Aether called out to us. I was still in awe of Aether's power, but a memory in the back of my head pushed itself to the front. I was so mesmerized by these Dragons that I completely forgot about why we came here and the one we came looking for was right there!

The two of us sprinted over to the group. Irene wasn't on the other Dragon type's back anymore and was on her own feet instead. At least she's well enough to talk to.

"You are Isaac, correct?" Irene said to me the moment I was next to her. "Chris told me you were the one with the broken arm, and that you were the one who had something to ask of me."

"Err, yea. I am, and I do." Chris must've been catching up and explaining why we were here when Aether was busy talking with us. "Chris and Aether both said that you could help us look for our friend. I saw a vision of her up on this mountain yesterday in the lake."

"You are correct. I can help. For as long as I remember, I've had the ability to see the aura of those who come close enough. An odd ability for an Altaria," she explained. "However, I have become ill, so my powers may not be as attuned as you need them to be."

"Any bit helps," I told her. "In the past week, have you ever sensed anyone else on this mountain?" Please say yes… Please say yes.

"I have not used my ability in the past week," she told me. "And when Chris told me of this same fact, I tried again but to no avail. I could not sense anyone new." My heart quickly sank when she finished. The chance that Katie is still on the mountain is slim… "But, two nights ago, I had a dream. In the dream, I did see an aura which was unfamiliar to me. It ended up in one of the caverns on this mountain. I was still too ill at the time to investigate, and I did not want to burden anyone with what could've been a hallucination."

I quickly perked up at her words. "Can you remember where it was that you saw the aura?" I asked loudly.

"Isaac, calm yourself," Chris said first.

"It is alright, Chris. And yes, Isaac, I do remember. I can lead you all there." She looked over to the Dragon which I still didn't know what to call it. "Would you carry them to where I lead, Roy?"

"Yes, of course, Lady," the Dragon responded. He looked over to us. "Climb onto my back, please."

Me, Sean, and Chris all jumped onto Roy's back. Irene spread her cloud-like wings and took off to the sky. A few flaps of his wings and Roy was off too. Aether followed behind us. We easily cleared the entire mountain, reaching a portion of it on the opposite side. There was a small opening on the side of the cliff. It looked exactly the same as what I saw, and we were heading right for it.

"There, that's where I saw the aura," Irene announced. Roy started to land, but I got impatient.

I jumped off his back when he was still a few yards off the ground. Sparing no time, I ran to the mouth of the cave. "Katie! Are you in here! Katie!" My shouts echoed in the cave. It was too dark in there to see anything, so I was just listening for any sound of her.

Instead I got Irene's voice. "It's dark in there. I'll light the area up." I looked over at her just as a shining ball of light appeared above her head. She shot it into the cavern, and it illuminated the area instantly. Once it dims down a bit we'll be able to easily see into the cavern.

After reopening my eyes because of the bright light I looked back at Irene. "Tha-" I didn't finish… because her face didn't look right… I looked over and neither did Roy's, Aether's… Chris and Sean's, too. My breathing turned shaky. I slowly turned my head around to look into the lit cavern… "No… Please…" …to see my first friend, that happy-go-lucky Pokemon I've known for over half my life, completely immobile on the ground.

Without another thought, I ran into the cave. I heard everyone else follow as well. I stopped myself just shy of Katie, though… With how she looked… I couldn't bring myself any closer. Her tail had no glow to it, no movement. No other part of her moved. Her wool was mangled, and there were cuts all along her body… Her paws looked like they had been through hell and back. Only explanation for that is she climbed her way up here… All this because of one incident…

"Katie… No…" Sean said shakily. I looked back at him to see him in the same state I am. Both of us just lost one of our best friends. I collapsed down next to my Electric type friend.

"Isaac, Sean… I'm so sorry," Irene said from behind us. "If only I acted on that dream. We would've found her before."

Her words just went in one ear and out the other, though. Nothing else worked in my mind. All that it tried to do was comprehend this. She'd only been gone for a week… There were no truly serious injuries on her, and she didn't starve… So how did she die? Why didn't she recover from her depression? Why did she have to die?

"Isaac… Your aura… It's falling into darkness…" Irene stated. "Sean, yours is too."

"You two, I must offer my apologies as well," Aether said. "It's my fault for not noticing your friend. I, too, could have prevented this."

"This wasn't your fault…" I told them through my tears. "If anybody's… it's mine. I didn't try hard enough to save her when she was still with us… This all happened because of an incident with me. She's dead because of me!"

"Snap out of it, Isaac!" Sean screamed at me. I stared blankly at him. "This wasn't your fault, either. It wasn't anybody's fault."

"How is this not my fault? I'm the one who didn't warn her about Tyler and her tail. I'm the one who wasn't able to get her back before she left. I got myself injured and knocked out the moment I learned that she was gone!"

"Isaac, calm yourself. There are some things are out of our control," Aether spoke up. "Blaming yourself will not do anyone any good at all."

"But…"

"No. No 'buts.' Do not blame yourself, Isaac. Only more grief and heartbreak will come from that. Now, if I may, I offer you all a trip back to your village. Roy will carry you, and, if you will permit me, I'll take Katie."

I didn't want to leave… but Aether was right. I'd only end up more miserable than I already am if I keep blaming myself. I still can't feel somewhat responsible, though… All of this started a week ago with me… And how can I face Katie's parents after this? I was the last one to see her alive…

"Isaac? You there?" Sean called out to me. "C'mon, dude. Let's go back home."

"Y-Yea… Al… right." I slowly picked myself off the ground. Sean was there next to me. His eyes were wet with tears too. Both of us knew nothing would bring our friend back. Aether walked by us as we got to everyone else. I glanced over my shoulder to see him pick her up. The sight brought a pain to my heart. I turned my head and closed my eyes as more tears fell.

We got onto Roy's back and took off back down to our village. Chris was the only one who was still in control of himself, so he directed them to the market square. Me and Sean just kept next to each other, grieving over our lost friend.

* * *

It wasn't long before the square came into view. Every Pokemon there started running as soon as we were visible. At least it made a landing area for us… Roy was the first to land, followed by Irene and Aether. I heard everyone saying multiple things about us, the Dragons… and Katie.

"What's going on here?" the Head Pokemon of our village exclaimed. Chris slid off Roy's back and met with him. They started conversing silently. Sean was next to slide off. His parents were in the crowd, and, since they thought he was still in the village, came running over to him to see if he was alright.

I stayed on Roy's back a little bit longer. After a minute I slid off though. I was just being an unnecessary burden to Roy. I looked around the crowd for any familiar faces… and saw a pair I really didn't want to… Katie's parents.

The instant Aether walked around Roy, their faces froze up completely. They broke through the crowd to get to their daughter. Aether set Katie down on the ground and stepped back. The two Ampharos knelt next to Katie, crying out themselves.

A pang of guilt hit me again… I had to get away from here… I slowly walked away from Roy, passing Sean and his parents, Chris, and to the edge of the crowd. They were all saying different things, but I blocked it all. I didn't care. I was just hoping they'd let me pass.

They didn't at first. To them, I was like some criminal for breaking the rule about going to the mountain. But after one apparently understood how I was feeling, they moved out of the way, one by one. As soon as a path was made, I just kept walking along. Every step pained my heart, but I had to leave. There was nothing else I could do. There was only one place I wanted to be, the only place where I can have my thoughts to myself, the cliff edge.

It took me longer than normal, but I finally made it. Since Sean, Chris and I started this whole thing in the morning, the sun was still high in the sky. I set myself underneath a tree… and let out all of my sorrow and grief.

I cried out to the valley below as tears flowed from my eyes. I relived every moment from this past week in my mind. Despite all my efforts… I failed. I wasn't able to save Katie.

Well… at least we found her… Had we not gone up there, we never would've found Katie. Her parents would have never known where she was or what was happening to her… though what did happen isn't too great a substitute. Maybe even Aether's dream will come true too. He, as the Dragon's leader, can meet with our head and possibly discuss a truce.

At least someone's dream will come true. I just wish Katie didn't have to die for it to happen. This whole week… I wish it never happened… but it did. Nothing can change that. Katie's gone… I can't change that.

I… I'm not going to go back for a while. I want to just stay here… I can't face anyone just yet…

* * *

"Hey, Isaac, wake up," someone called out to me. "Wake up, dude." I slowly opened my eyes. Sean was standing next to me.

"Hey, what happened?" I could see the sun was near setting. I must've fallen asleep.

"I thought I'd find you here. You missed Katie's funeral. They've buried her already. I thought I'd let you know," Sean said somberly.

"Oh… I'm sorry…"

"It's alright. I snagged an extra one of these for you." From behind his back, Sean pulled out a single white flower and gave it to me. "You can still go give this to her."

My eyes started to water up again. "Sean… Thanks."

"It's no problem," he said back. I could see water under his eyes too. He wiped it away, though. "I'll see you tomorrow, Isaac."

"Yea, see ya later, Sean," I replied. He left, and I was again alone, but I had something to do now. I looked down on the flower Sean gave me. A single tear fell from my eye and landed right on the center of the flower. I picked myself off the ground and started back to the village.

As I got there, I walked around the outside of it until I hit the path that leads to our graveyard. I never liked going there… but I'm going for a friend. It didn't take me long to find Katie's grave. It still had the fresh flowers around it.

I stayed there a while, though. I wanted to tell her my final thoughts… "Katie… I'm sorry I couldn't help you out better. I'm sorry I wasn't able to save you." More tears fell from my eyes. "You always kept me happy. Before we met, I was alone, sad. You saved me from that sadness. You were my very first friend, and you were the greatest friend I could've ever asked for."

I set the flower leaning against the center of her gravestone.

"Goodbye, Katie… I'll miss you."

* * *

**A/N: Yea... This again. I'm only adding this down here because if I added this up top, it would've spoiled too much, and I really don't like to do that... Along with being the longest chapter I've ever written, it also ended up being the hardest for me to. I've never felt such an emotional overflow like that since my dog died three years ago. I even went back and reread portions of my favorite story because they're heart-wracking too. I finished my story at 12:30 at night and wasn't able to fall asleep until about 3:00, also. Me getting so worked up over my writing has only happened one other time, but when it happened for this story, that was the hardest.**

**Ok, end rant numero dos. Hehe...**


	7. Chapter 7

"Alright, I'm heading out," I called out back into my house. It was almost time for me to head out to my job.

"Ok, Isaac," my mom called back. "Don't forget what day it is today!"

"Of course! Cut me a break, Mom!" I replied. Heh, how could I forget anyways? I'd never forget my little brother's birthday. Speaking of which…

"Brother! Are you gonna come by the daycare today?" Tyler said as he ran to the door trying to catch me before I left. "Auntie Kangaskhan said she had something special planned for me today! I can't wait!" He was bouncing up and down in excitement.

"I'll see if I can't drop by for a bit during lunch," I replied. "I don't think we're doing anything huge today anyways, so I may be able to leave early altogether. We'll just have to see."

"Do you know what the surprise is? Do you think you could tell me?" he asked, still bouncing. He's clearly excited about the surprise.

"If I knew and told you, it wouldn't be a surprise, now would it?" I replied, laughing a little. "You'll just have to wait and see, Tyler, but I'm sure you'll love it." Hehe… I vaguely remember the 'something special' Mrs. Rugara did for me on my first birthday while staying at her daycare. The only thing I can remember is that there were some Aspear Berries…

Aside from that, I can hardly remember! My surprise was ten years ago, and it is closer to seven years since I last saw someone get it. She only does it on the kids' first birthday with her; otherwise, she'd have to do something almost every couple of weeks. Today was Tyler's first birthday while attending her daycare. He'll be turning four years old total.

"Isaac, since you're going to try to be at Tyler's party there, do you think you could pick him up anyways?" my mom asked. "It'd really help."

"Yea, sure. Even if I don't get off early, I'll still be off before you'd normally pick him up, so it's no problem at all."

"Yay! Brother's picking me up today!" Tyler seemed particularly enjoyed that I was. I know why, too. Hehe… He's really been growing up nicely. He's still finding his voice, but I can't complain if his voice squeaks a few times. Mine did too. Both of us have gotten a bit taller too. He's now just short of a third my size, not less than a quarter like he was when he first came home.

Nothing else has really happened over the years. Seasons passed; everything just went on as normal. The only major difference is that everyone isn't afraid of the Dragon types anymore. It took a while, but everyone finally accepted them as part of the village. It also allowed us to expand and make more suited homes for Rock and Ground types. Aether doesn't mind one bit about sharing the vast mountain he lives on. That definitely kept my dad busy…

But that aside… nothing else has really happened.

"Well, you'd better hurry up, Isaac," my dad said, walking past me. He was ready to head out himself. "You don't want to be late; they may not let you leave if you are."

"Yea, I'm going now." I picked up my lunch and started outside but stopped and ruffled my brother's head fur. "See you later, Tyler."

"Bye, Brother!"

* * *

The sun was about halfway visible in the horizon. I had to be at my job's grouping area before the sun was fully visible, so I had some time left. You could say that I've followed in my father's footsteps as far as occupation goes. I'm also working construction jobs, but not houses like my dad. I'm not a foreman either. I'm in a temporary division that handled a bit more special job. The fact that I'm a Buizel is why I was chosen to help with this job.

That job was the creation of wells at various points throughout the village. They had barely started when I signed up for the position a bit over a year ago, and we just got the job done a few weeks ago. We had to take it slow so we could make sure the tunnels were gonna hold and not collapse. A plaster the Ground types created helped support the tunnels, but it was messy work applying it…

Now that the whole thing was done, nothing else was really planned. We do, however, have to check the tunnels every day to make sure they still hold. We've had one scare already with a section nearly breaking, but we got it fixed before any major damage was done.

After that, these inspections became required. If one of them were to fail, the cave-in it causes could cause a sinkhole that could destroy a few homes… That really wouldn't be a good thing. But at least the other Pokémon that aren't Water types can get water much more easily now. That's the whole reason we made those wells. If we have to do a little bit of extra work every day to keep those wells, that's fine by me.

The grouping area was a building off the village's marketplace. The sun was still a quarter hidden, so I was right on time.

Not many others were there, but it was still a few more minutes until our meeting time. They'll show up eventually. There were five others there. I only knew two of them personally, and the other three were just co-workers. One of the two who I knew was also the supervisor of the project. Everyone had to check in with him before the day started so he knew which of us were there when they were supposed to be.

He's a Poliwrath, and when I first started I was told that he was a bit strict, but… "Ah, Isaac, hello. You're right on time again." …he's never been that way with me. I've have seen him be a little hard on some others, but I just guess they did something to tick him off. I've only been working for a year, much shorter than most of the others here, so it makes sense that I haven't had enough time to get on his bad side.

I plan to keep it that way, however. The fact I'm on his good side might make it easier for me to get off early for my bro's party at the Daycare. "Yup. Hey, Barry." I may as well mention that now, before we get the day started. "You mind if I ask something?"

He marked my name off his list for today. "Sure, what's up?"

"Well, it's my little brother's birthday today, and his first one while at Mrs. Rugara's Daycare. She always does something special for those kids, and I was wondering if I could get off early, around lunchtime, to go attend that party." I heard a few of the others start snickering at my request. I think they're expecting that the 'rookie' would never get any time off. It never hurts to ask though.

"Your little brother, eh? Tyler, correct? How old's he turning?" he asked.

"Yes, and four," I replied. The others stopped snickering and I stole a glance back towards them to see they had a look of confusion on their faces. Pretty sure that's because I haven't been instantly declined my request.

"Heh, he's still a little tyke. Very well. If nothing happens that requires you needing to be here, you can go attend his party."

"What?" one of the Pokémon behind me, a Golduck, shouted. "How come the rookie gets time off and I don't when I ask for it?"

"Shut your trap!" Barry snapped back. Here's where the side of Barry comes out that I'm glad I've never awoken. "It's because Isaac's reason for the time off is legitimate. All of your excuses are just you wanting to be lazy!"

"How do you know he's not just making the story up to laze off?" he retorted. The argument didn't hold much ground, though. Barry knows my dad, and I'm sure they've talked some about it in the past. I think the Golduck knows that, because he's starting to shake a little bit. I couldn't help but laugh a little, but I tried not to show it. Failed at that, though.

Barry put his face in one of his hands and chuckled a little. "Did you really just play that card?" The Golduck didn't respond. "Very well then. Isaac, how would you like the entire day off?"

"Wait, what?" I stopped my laughing and did a quick double-take when I heard that but quickly recovered and shook my head. "Sorry, but I'd have nothing to do then. The party isn't until lunch, so I'd be stuck doing nothing for a few hours."

Everyone looked at me with a strange look when I said that. A few others came in while the Golduck was getting yelled at, and while I'm sure they didn't know the whole story, even they wondered why I declined a day off. I guess everyone would be ecstatic at time off, but it was the truth. I'd be stuck doing basically nothing until lunch came around.

Barry just chuckled again. "Like father, like son. He rarely takes any time off either. Alright, who else came in?" Barry didn't push his offer any further. He just went back to marking off those who came in.

I decided to go talk to the other Pokémon I knew, a Chinchou named Jason. He's only a couple years older than me, and was also the last 'rookie' before I took the title from him. He didn't really deserve it, though. He's been working for about three years, plenty of time to not be called a rookie, but I guess it's just tradition to call the newest guy 'rookie' or something.

I happened to pass by the Golduck that started the little event. "Little suck-up rookie…" I heard him mutter.

"Just doing my job," I replied quietly enough for only him to hear. He glared at me for a nanosecond before casting his gaze elsewhere, very clearly irritated. Not my problem, though. If he wants to be mad, then let him be mad. Just as long as he doesn't bug me about it, I don't really care either way.

Jason started hopping over towards me before I got all the way to him. "Are you serious when you said you didn't want the whole day off?" he asked.

"I don't see what the big deal is, but, yes, I was serious. Hey, as long as I can get off for my little bro's party, I'm fine with that. I don't need any more time off just because someone else can't get any." I took another glance at the Golduck when I finished talking. He was still irritated, but he also looked like he wanted to beat something – or someone – up.

"I'll never understand you…" Jason sighed out. "A normal Pokémon would instantly take any time off, but then there are those like you…"

"Is it so wrong for someone to enjoy working? Sure, a break here and there is great, but c'mon! There's gotta be some limit…" I really have no idea why he's pressing the matter so hard. I just feel very content with myself when I'm doing something like this. I just don't get why everyone can't understand that…

"Well, whatever the case, it looks like we're about to get ready to start the day."

"Alright, time for the morning briefing," Barry announced. Jason was right. Sun is fully visible now, and those who are late will be paying for it later on. "Today's no different than the last: go and check the wells for any cracks or the like. If everything comes back clean today, that'll probably be the last we'll have to do; however, if there's any reports of cracking or anything, we'll be adding an extra layer of plaster to reinforce the tunnels. I do not want any false reports to avoid this. I'm keeping track of everyone's reports. If any don't match up, I'll collect those who worked on that tunnel and see who's right.

"Now, divide up amongst yourselves and check every tunnel," he finished. Just another inspection day but with a slight twist. Hopefully we won't need to apply that extra layer, but if we have to, then we have to.

"Jason, you ready to go?" I asked. We always worked together, so I didn't bother asking if he wanted to work together. We had a pretty efficient system going. All he had to do was light up the area and hold onto me. I was the speedy swimmer, and he was the headlamp.

"Yea, but you better not call me a headlamp again," he replied, a slight look of irritation on his face.

I couldn't help but start laughing slightly. It was a little too late for that comment. I already did call him a headlamp, but he doesn't need to know that. "Oh, I know. Last time was warning enough… It's still funny to no end though!" I laughed again, not even trying to hold it back. I really should stop joking about that though, or else he may use his Electric type half again, and last time was hairy enough.

"Keep it up, buddy. Keep. It. Up." A small spark of electricity arced across his two antennae, and I stopped laughing, but I still kept a smile on my face. It was just too funny to let it drop like that.

He went silent after that. I know he's just playing around, though. He may seem angry, but he's taking it as a joke just like I am. The world would be a much worse place if we didn't know how to take a joke. I remained silent, but I kept the large grin on my face just to show that I was still laughing about it.

"Alright, you gonna wipe that grin off your face now?" he asked.

"Heh, yea. I'm sorry. I'll stop." We were at the lake that was the source of all the water for the wells anyways, so I had to stop. Time to do our job.

"You'd better. I'll meet you underwater," he said as we waded into the lake. He quickly darted off to mark which well we'd be the ones to check. I had to wade a little further before I ducked myself underwater and took off after him. The lake goes at a slight decline for about fifty feet, then just drops off into an abyss that goes about a hundred feet down to the lakebed.

The wells were made about thirty feet down from the drop-off, and there were seven in total. All the others were getting into the water as well, and found wells for them to search. Jason decided the third from the left would be the well we'd take.

I met up with him, and he wasted no time in latching onto me. We both knew we had to work quickly. He may be able to breathe the water, but I can't. I've been able to hold my breath and store enough oxygen to last about thirty, forty minutes tops. The length of the well makes it take a good fifteen minutes to travel through the whole thing, but that's without having to inspect every part of it to look for cracks.

I knew when I was at my limit, though, and I've never ran out of breath during these inspections. Going at the pace we were, we'd hit the end in about thirty minutes. I'd be able to catch my breath at the opening, and then it's just a straight shot back to the lake.

Jason kept his antennae moving to illuminate the sides of the well. If he wasn't with me, I wouldn't be able to see a single thing. All the joking aside, I really enjoy working with Jason. Having two sets of eyes working at the same time really helps to make sure we didn't miss a thing.

Eventually, we reached the end of the tunnel, and I still had plenty of air left. I still surfaced to take a quick breather, though. After I was done, I went back under. "Well, I didn't see much. Did you see anything wrong?" I asked Jason, my voice a little gargled in the water.

"Not a thing. This one's holding up pretty well… no pun intended," he replied, laughing at his added comment.

"Really?" I couldn't keep myself from laughing at his unintended joke, even though it was kinda lame. "Nice fail joke. Made me waste all my air laughing." That wasn't true, but I did use up some of it. "Let me grab another breath and then we'll head back." I resurfaced in the well, took another breath in, and went back down. Jason latched back onto me and illuminated the path, and I spun my tails much faster than they were when we were scanning the walls. No sense in dawdling since we were done with the inspection.

Fifteen minutes later, and we saw the entrance to the well. The light from the sun did reach down to them, but didn't really go far into them. I was still going full speed coming out of the well and almost missed slamming into someone else passing in front of it. I twisted my body a little to avoid them and inflated my collar to slow myself down. I deflated it instantly after to keep from floating to the surface.

"Hey! Watch where you're going, rookie!" the Pokémon, who turned out to be the Golduck from before, shouted.

"Sorry, Balth. Didn't really see you coming," I replied.

However, I faltered a little in my reply. He had a slight pet peeve when it comes to his name… "I told you not to call me that! My name is Balthazar! Get it right!" he snapped back at me. I knew what his full name was, but it was just so much easier to call him 'Balth' instead of his full name, even though it kinda ticked him off. "Arceus, I never thought I'd meet someone with as much disrespect as you!"

"I don't really see what the big deal is. I mean, I can't be the only one who shortens your name, am I?"

"No, you're not, but they get the memo when I say 'Don't call me Balth.' You still don't get that! You also think you're so great. You always look so smug and like you're the boss's right-hand, and that you can do anything. Well you're wrong! You're nothing! You're just a stupid rookie!"

I was a little surprised at his remarks. He's never gotten like this before. "Ok, you don't like me. That much is clear. But I'm not smug and I don't think I can do anything I want. I just do what I can and ask what I can and hope things work out."

Apparently my response only angered him further, because I felt the water around me displace a little. His psychic energy is starting to shift the water around. "Not liking you is an understatement… I am so SICK of you and your attitude."

"Hey, calm down now. You're acting like a Psyduck who can't control its psychic powers right now," I replied. The water around me started shifting and swirling even more now. Considering who I was talking to… calling him a Psyduck probably wasn't a good idea.

"I'm a Psyduck now? Ok, then. Let's see this 'Psyduck' start beating the life out of you!" As soon as he finished, he darted straight towards me and rammed me with his head. I felt a little extra energy, so it must've been his Zen Headbutt. Either way, it sorta hurt…

He didn't stop with just that, though. As soon as he reoriented himself, he charged up and fired a Water Pulse straight for me. Although his Zen Headbutt hurt, it didn't really do much else. I was able to easily orient myself and dodge his attack.

Irritated further, Balthazar let out a couple more Water Pulses, each one easily dodge-able. I decided to slightly retaliate just once. Just before he launched off another Water Pulse, I swung my tails around for a Sonicboom attack. The wave of energy hit and dispelled his Water Pulse right in front of him. He was barely affected by it, though. Physically, at least. He was definitely a lot more ticked than before.

"You know you're dead for that, right?" he asked, in a semi-calm tone yet with a hint of rage as well.

"Just knock this off and calm down, Balthazar. We still have to report to Barry." I knew it was a long-shot, but maybe he would calm down if he remembered he needed to do his job still.

"I can always report after I damage you up a bit, rookie." Of course. Should've figured he'd just delay his job to try and beat me up. "Of course, it's a good thing that you were with a partner for your inspection. At least that well will still get a report on it."

"That was a threat, wasn't it?" I asked sarcastically. I tensed up a little bit. With how he's talking, I don't think he's gonna stick with long range attacks.

"You make the guess," he replied. He darted directly for me the second he finished speaking. He had his claws ready to Slash, but I easily dodged his attack. He stopped himself, turned around, and tried for another Slash, and I just repeated my dodge.

We kept the routine of him trying to Slash me and me dodging for a few minutes, but this is pointless. I don't have time for this; I've gotta surface soon for air… "Hey, Isaac, want me to just paralyze him to end this?" Jason called out. I think the reason he hasn't intervened already is because he knows me. He knows I can handle myself in a battle. We've sparred before; that's how he knows. Still, guess he remembered we still have a job to do, too.

"If you think you can catch just him in a Thunder Wave, go for it. This is getting ridiculous anyways," I responded, dodging another Slash. There have been so many opportunities for me to counter, but I'm not gonna get into a fight today.

I dodged another Slash and turned around again, expecting to have to dodge another one. However, he kept going straight, straight towards Jason. Balthazar heard what we said and must've decided to deal some damage to the one who had a type advantage against him. Jason wasn't expecting it so early, either, and was still charging up electricity.

I couldn't stay attack idle now. I focused my internal water around me, which melded with the water of the lake, to shoot at Balthazar with my Aqua Jet. The fact that I was already surrounded by water made it possible to jet at a much faster speed than on land.

Jason saw me coming and stopped trying to attack himself. He ducked out of the way, while I continued at Balthazar.

"Such a rookie," I heard him say. Right before I was about to hit him, he spun around and swung his clenched fist to meet the tip of my Aqua Jet. I tried to change course, but I just wasn't expecting this. I closed my eyes as his fist broke right into my jet and slammed right dead-center on my head.

I'm half-surprised I didn't black out instantly from the hit. I really couldn't move myself, though. I just felt myself drift in the water. I couldn't even focus enough to redirect air into my floatation collar to get myself to the surface. I could feel the water pressure increase around me as I sank to the lakebed. I just hope I can move again before I run out of air…

I'm just getting extremely lightheaded now. I probably only have about five, maybe ten, minutes of air left. If I don't resurface soon… I'll drown. But I still can't move. I can barely tell what direction is up, either. I wonder if anyone else sees me, if someone is gonna help me…

I felt myself stop drifting and hit against the silt-covered lakebed. I landed with my back along the ground, so at least I know what's up now… At least I'm regaining my movement. I reopen my eyes to at least try and figure out if anyone's around me. Because I'm so far down, the area is very dimly lit. I can make out some things, though; the first being a little cloud of red right in front of my face.

Past the cloud, I saw two figures swimming straight at me, and past them were a bunch of other Pokémon surrounding one more. As soon as they got close enough, I recognized the two swimming towards me. It was Jason and Barry. Jason must've gone and gotten Barry for assistance. Then the one surrounded must be Balthazar.

"Hey, Isaac, can you hear me?" Jason asked.

I was dangerously low on air now, so I didn't want to waste any by speaking. I had regained most of my movement now and simply pointed to the surface.

"Hold on, Isaac. Let's get you to the surface," Barry said as he lifted me to my feet. I slung my arm around him, getting a grip on his shoulder, and as soon as he had a grip on me, he shot up to the surface. The need to breathe was starting to manifest, but I knew I couldn't give in yet. My throat and chest burned as I was holding no viable air in. I didn't know how much farther we had, but I hope it's not a lot…

Just as I felt like blacking out, my head broke the surface of the water. I instinctively inhaled as much as I could, coughing a little as well. I kept coughing as we made our way to shore. I felt my feet drag along the ground in the shallow water and let go of Barry to try and walk on my own.

He released me, but I didn't make it far before I fell back down, coughing again. I was in shallow enough water that I could lay on my back and not have to worry about water getting in my mouth. I just laid there, trying to get my breathing and the coughing in control. It took a few minutes, but I finally calmed my breathing down to a normal pace. I could feel and move my body again, but I really don't feel like moving right now. I don't want to do anything else right now… I just kept my eyes closed.

* * *

I have no clue what happened after I laid down in the water. I must've fallen asleep or something. I still felt the water around me, so I haven't been moved anywhere, but I wonder what happened.

I opened up my eyes and looked around a little. Jason was right next to me, seeming to watch over me as I slept. "Hey, how long was I out?"

Jason seemed to jump when I spoke. He instantly noticed that I was feeling better, though. "About an hour or two. Heh, I'm kinda surprised though. A single punch did this to you? Was all of our sparring for nothing?" he said in a very jovial manner.

"The punch didn't do this to me. Running out of air did," I replied.

"Yea, true. I guess the only damage the punch did was that cut above your eye. Hang on; I'll go get a bandage for that." He got up and walked further to dry land. That cloud of red that I saw in the water must've been my blood. Guess I was too disoriented to figure that out earlier. I just hope I don't ruin the day for my brother when I go see him. I really should've thought better than to do something so stupid on my brother's birthday…

Barry walked out of the water right after Jason left and stood over me. "Looks like you're feeling better. I assume Jason went to get something for that little cut of yours?" I simply nodded in reply. "Heh, doesn't look too bad. A simple adhesive bandage should suffice. Balthazar's been dealt with. He'll have to do some extra work for recklessly endangering the life of two co-workers."

"Huh?" Recklessly endangering the life of two co-workers? Anything that happened did so because I didn't just swim away… "No, that isn't right… I pushed him that far. I could've just swum away from him, but I-"

"Let me stop you there," Barry interrupted. "Balthazar, as well as some others who witnessed you, told me the story. He didn't spare any details in his intense dislike for you. He even stated he'd do it all again if given the chance. That's why my decision still stands. He must make up for it or be labeled a Rogue Pokémon."

It still doesn't sit right with me… "But-"

"I'm not going to punish someone for fighting back in self defense," he stated. "Stop trying to find some way to blame yourself, alright? Jason's back with a med-kit."

I wanted to contest it, but I knew I wouldn't change his mind. I just sat myself up, which caused the blood from my cut to now flow over my eye, making me have to shut it to keep the blood out of my eye. I wiped a bit away, but it still kept bleeding. Jason got out a simple adhesive bandage big enough to fit over the whole cut, and after putting some anti-bacterial salve on it, he handed it over to me.

I placed it over the cut, wincing a bit at the pain from the salve on my cut, but it was bearable. With the bandage on, no more blood ran over my eye. "Thanks, Jason."

"Don't mention it," he replied. "By the way, I should also be saying 'thanks.' You did distract Balthazar from attacking me while I was charging up my electricity, so thanks."

I had forgotten that little bit. I started laughing a little sheepishly afterwards. "I couldn't let anyone else get hurt because I'm an idiot."

"You didn't do anything wrong, Isaac," Barry added in. "Quit blaming yourself."

"What? It was idiotic to call a Golduck a 'Psyduck that can't control its psychic powers.'"

Barry started laughing a little at that. "I still find that part funny, but I can see how that could get a Golduck's blood boiling. Either way, you're still not at fault." He laughed out a little again. "Now that that's all cleared, what's your report on your inspection?"

Yet another thing I had forgotten about. "We inspected the third from the left. No problems found," I reported.

"Matches up with Jason's report. Alright then, we'll only inspect a few more times in the future. If no problems arise, we'll call the project complete and put all the workers on standby for further instructions," Barry told us. Looks like we're finally done with the wells… "As for today, you're done, Isaac. It's almost lunch. Your little nap passed quite a bit of time. Didn't you have somewhere to be?"

Is it really almost lunch? It doesn't even feel like that much time has passed… I guess I can't tell time when asleep. "Yea, thanks again for this," I said. "Whoa…" As I stood up, I almost fell back over when I started getting a little head-rush. A nice little headache accompanied by a slight loss of vision and dizziness? Yea, that's hard to stay standing on.

"You alright there?"

"Ungh…" I shook my head to try and clear it. The head-rush didn't last long. The headache stopped, as did the dizziness, and I got all my vision back. "Yea, I'm fine now. Just got a little lightheaded."

"Just don't pass out. I'll see you your next shift." And with that, Barry walked back into the water.

I stretched out my muscles a little before walking towards the dry land. I felt like I did before I got into the water that day, minus the little burn from the cut on my head. That's the only thing that I'm taking away from the little scrap I got into. I know I could've done more against Balthazar, but I just didn't want to get into a fight on my brother's birthday. I did a great job succeeding at that…

Oh well. Some things just can't be avoided. It just happened to be today that Balthazar finally got fed up with me, though I still can't understand why he hates me so much. Maybe it's just jealousy that I got time off. Maybe he just can't stand me. There are so many possibilities, but I don't think I should let it bother me too much. It's my brother's birthday! The rest of the day is gonna be all about him now.

I just hope he won't mind this little bandage on my head. The last thing I want is for him to stop having fun on his day because he's worried about me. For a little brother, he's very caring for me, just as I am to him. However, I know that the reasons we care for each other are different… I've not forgotten the promise I made, and I never will.

I dropped by the meeting building for us from earlier in the day to pick up my lunch and then headed off again. It didn't take me long after that to walk to Mrs. Rugara's Daycare. I could hear a lot of laughter and the like from a few yards away. I don't think we've ever made as much noise as these kids have, though we did have our… other moments. Hehe…

I knocked on the door, not wanting to just barge in there. I'm sure that Tyler has told Mrs. Rugara I'd be over, but I didn't want to interrupt anything. The door swung open moments later, Mrs. Rugara right behind it. I gave a little saluting wave as I saw her. "Hey."

"Oh! Hello, Isaac. Tyler told me you'd maybe stop by. Guess you did manage to get off work after all." Yup, Tyler did tell her I'd be stopping by. I hope I didn't miss anything. "I'm sure Tyler will be happy you're here. It's almost time for the little surprise for him, if you can remember."

I gave out a little sigh of relief, glad I didn't miss anything, but that didn't last long as I started laughing sheepishly a little. "Truth is… I can barely remember," I said, scratching the back of my head a bit. "The main things I remember are Aspear Berries, but not much aside from that."

Mrs. Rugara let out a slight chuckle. "That's right, you're very fond of sour berries, and if I remember correctly, you don't like spicy all that much, right?"

"Yea, that's right. Do you use that info for these days?" I asked. I was a little surprised she remembered my flavor preferences from so long ago.

"Yes, I'm very observant. You of all Pokémon should know that. Do you have an idea of what flavor your little brother likes?"

Tyler's favorite flavor? "Erm…" I never noticed before… I guess I was always too preoccupied in my own thoughts or something to observe what berries Tyler likes the best. "I can't say that I do…" as much as I don't want to admit I don't know much about my own brother. Hehe…

Mrs. Rugara let out another laugh. "It's what you dislike, surprisingly. His dislike is dry foods."

"Spicy berries?" I cringed a little. I just plain don't like the sharp burning feel on my tongue from those kinds of berries. "How can he stand them?"

"The same way that you can stand the bite of sour berries, while some of the other kids here can't," she replied. I guess that makes sense… Everyone does have their own flavor preferences. "So, let's stop talking while in the doorway. Come on in!" She stepped out of the way to allow me in, and I quickly entered.

I set my lunch down on a table before looking around a bit. Most of the kids in this room were staring over at me, probably wondering things like who was I, what was I doing here, why Mrs. Rugara was talking with me. Can't blame them. I think that when random Pokémon came into the Daycare when I was here, I stopped and wondered the same things.

"Well, Tyler was last in the other room. Go ahead and see if he's in there."

I nodded, and passed through the doorway that led to the other room. I've been here many times before when picking Tyler up, but I still feel out of place. I've felt out of place here ever since I stopped coming here regularly. I'm much older than every single one of these kids, and I don't even know most of them either. They might know me if Tyler talks about me, but I doubt it. I won't try to interfere too much, but I should still let Tyler know I'm here.

I scanned the room a little, looking for my little brother, but I couldn't see him from where I was standing. Mrs. Rugara said that he'd be in here… or, rather, was last in here before she answered the door. But no one was outside when I came up, so why would he go outside?

Something didn't seem right here… I've got a slight feeling something is about to happen.

"Get him!"

Yup, I knew it. My brother always liked to plan these ambushes with his friends. They were only focused against me, never against my parents. Ah well, guess he just wants to do this with someone who he knows won't get angry with him.

This ambush was a bit different than the last, but still similar, too. He had his two friends on each of my sides, Brett, a Zigzagoon, was on my right, and Aaron, a Cubone, on my left. My brother most likely snuck behind me, which is true because I can hear him behind me now. If he's planning to continue these ambushes, he really needs to learn to tread lighter.

I can normally easily escape these ambushes… but I'm gonna be nice today. Up to this point, Tyler and his friends haven't caught me successfully in an ambush. Think of it as another little birthday gift from me.

With me not attempting to escape, Brett and Aaron were able to latch themselves onto my arms, I think in an attempt to weigh me down. I still heard Tyler running up behind me. He then let out a grunt of effort, probably jumping to tackle me. I braced myself, knowing what was coming. I glanced behind me to see my brother mid-air. He seemed to notice me looking at him, and I just shot him a smile in return.

He gained a look of confusion on his face, at my smile, I'm sure. His body slammed into mine, and with the other two kids on my arms, I wasn't able to keep myself standing and fell forward.

We all ended up on the ground, and Brett and Aaron were laughing excitedly. "We finally caught you, Isaac!" Aaron shouted out.

Tyler crawled up my back and put his head right next to mine. "You let us catch you, didn't you, Brother?" he asked. He nuzzled the side of my head with his after he asked that. Aaron and Brett stopped their laughing and gained a look of confusion themselves.

I didn't pay much more attention to them and nuzzled my brother back a little. "Heh, Happy Birthday, Tyler."

Tyler got up off me and allowed me to stand up. As soon as I did, he nearly tackled me down again, but this time was because of a hug. "Aww, you're the best! Thanks, Brother!"

"You're welcome, Tyler."

His friends were still confused, I could tell. Brett finally took a few steps forward. "So, wait, you allowed us to catch you?"

"As a gift," I simply replied.

"Aww, but that doesn't count then!" he spurted out. He must've wanted to truly catch me, not allow myself to be caught.

"I don't care. It was still nice of you, Brother," Tyler said in my defense. He kept hugging me all the while.

"Well, it seems you've found Tyler and his friends, or, rather, they found you," Mrs. Rugara said from behind us.

"Auntie Kangaskhan!" Tyler let go of me and ran to stand in front of Mrs. Rugara. "Thanks so much for letting my brother come here today!"

"Oh, Tyler, it's no problem at all. For such a special day such as this, how could I not have let him come?" Mrs. Rugara placed her paw on Tyler's head. "Besides, ever since Isaac came here all those years ago, he's always been welcome here."

I got a little embarrassed when she said that. I really wasn't expecting that comment. "You probably say that to everyone who used to attend your daycare…" I mumbled.

But she shook her head. "There are so many who I've not seen for so long, nor do I remember much about them, but you've always been in my mind, never able to leave. Ever since I saw you as that timid little Buizel who hid in the back of the room his entire first day, I knew I'd never forget you."

I got even more embarrassed now. Not only from her comments, but from the looks I got from Tyler and his friends. "You hid in the back of the room your first day here?" Tyler asked me. I never did tell him that, or anyone else for that matter. I always kept that as my little secret. But now the secret's out.

"Yea…" I chuckled sheepishly. "All I wanted to do was go home. I even hid behind Mom when we met Mrs. Rugara because I was scared of her. I just didn't want to be here," I explained. Skitty's out of the bag, so why keep hiding the secret?

My secret just elicited laughter from my brother and his friends. I can't blame them, though. Looking back on it… It is pretty funny.

"Alright, let's stop embarrassing your brother, Tyler. Well, it's almost lunchtime, so I'm going to go and get Tyler's surprise," Mrs. Rugara said. "Just hold on a little longer."

"Yay!" He's definitely happy about this. Mrs. Rugara left to the kitchen. Tyler bounded back to latch onto me again. I laughed in surprise as he nuzzled me again. He seemed to calm down from his excitement pretty quickly. "Hey, Brother? How'd you get that bandage on your head?"

Oh… That's why. He couldn't hold any excitement when he knew I had an injury of any kind. "It's nothing, Tyler, just a little scratch." This is what I didn't want to have happen. He shouldn't need to worry about anything today…

"But what happened? I can see some blood around it." I could tell he was now really worried about it. He always does this whenever anyone gets hurt.

"Tyler, it's nothing. I just hit my head off a rock during work today. It's nothing to worry about. It'll be healed in a day or two." Yea, I lied. I just couldn't tell him I got into a fight today. He wouldn't be able to enjoy today if he knew…

"Are you sure?" He nuzzled closer to me, not seeming to care his friends are a few feet away. I guess I don't care either.

I knelt down so that we were at eye level. He just kept close to me as I moved. "Tyler, I'm fine. You don't need to worry about me. That's the older brother's job, anyways."

"Yea… but I still don't like it when I see others hurt," he said. I've known that fact about him for a long time…

"No one does, Tyler, but you don't need to worry about it, especially not on today. Now c'mon, let's wait for your surprise." I wanted to change the subject to something more positive. We don't need to stay on that subject any longer.

As if on cue, Mrs. Rugara came out with a tray filled to capacity and then some with bowls of berries, the average lunch for everyone here. "Time for lunch, everyone!" she shouted out, gathering the attention of every little Pokémon in the building. "And a little bit into lunch, I'll bring out the special surprise for our birthday Buizel. It's his first birthday while attending the daycare, so he gets the special treat! Don't spoil it!"

Tyler's eyes seemed to light up at that. It wasn't going to be much longer until he got his surprise. "I'm gonna go and find somewhere to eat with Brett and Aaron, Brother. Come join us when you get your food," my brother said to me. Just like he said, he and his two friends went over to where Mrs. Rugara set down the tray of bowls and grabbed one each. They then filed into the other room along with a bunch of other Pokémon.

I went over to a different table and grabbed my own lunch. "Isaac, I know you have your own lunch, but if you still aren't full, you're more than welcome to a bowl for yourself," she told me. She then walked over and stood beside me, holding something behind her. "I also have this for you, just as a little random treat from me." She presented what she had behind her to me, an Iapapa Berry. She threw it towards me and I swiftly caught it.

"A nice, little sour treat given for no reason? Thanks, Mrs. Rugara."

"Oh, Isaac, stop with the 'Mrs. Rugara' name, won't you? Won't I always be Auntie Kangaskhan to you?"

I gave out a slight chuckle and shook my head. "No, you were, but not anymore. You're Auntie Kangaskhan to these little kids now, but not to me. But you know I'll never forget the time when you were Auntie Kangaskhan to me."

"I still think I'm always Auntie Kangaskhan." A large smile adorned her face. "By the way… are you going to tell your parents that a rock hit your head for that cut, too?"

Huh? How'd she know that I was lying about the cut on my head… and how did she even hear me from the other room? "So… you know the true story? How? And how'd you hear me?"

"Nothing escapes me when within these walls, another fact that you should know about me, Isaac. And the news of the Golduck worker attacking two of his co-workers spread fast," she explained to me. "Now, why didn't you tell your brother the truth?"

"I… didn't want him to know I got into a fight on his birthday. He doesn't like when others get hurt, so I had to play it off as an accident."

Mrs. Rugara chuckled a little. "Yes, he is very caring for one his age, even more so for his older brother. But I know you're keeping a lot from him, about when he was much younger, and he knows something's not right and worries about it."

"How… how do you know that?" I've only ever told my parents I don't want Tyler to know about the past, and they only understood after a little persuasion. I'm sure they wouldn't talk about it, so how did she know?

Mrs. Rugara shook her head. "Never mind. Forget I said anything. Go, sit with your brother. I'll go get the surprise," she told me. She turned around and went back into the kitchen, leaving me a little guilty and confused. I don't like lying to my brother basically every day… but I just don't want to tell him about what happened to him and the events that resulted… With how much he doesn't like others being hurt, he'd be devastated.

I gotta calm myself down… Tyler will instantly know if something's bothering me. I held the Iapapa Berry up in front of my face. Maybe the sourness of it will help get my mind back to normal…

I took a bite of the berry, my mouth instantly assailed by the sour flavor. My mouth barely puckered at the flavor, but it was still strong and tasty. After so many sour berries, I've grown to be able to resist puckering. The softness of the Iapapa Berry is a very welcome contrast to the hard peel of an Aspear Berry, but I love them each just the same. I didn't wait long after the first bite to take another, and even less time after that. Iapapa Berries were sourer than Aspear Berries, and I just loved that.

After about a minute, the berry was gone. The taste still lingered in my mouth, though. Made me kinda sad that I had to overtake its flavor with other berries, but I'll save an Aspear for last, just to keep some sourness on my tongue.

The berry had its intended effect, though, of helping me get back to my normal self. I was still thinking about it all, but I wasn't showing it. I'm sure my brother is wondering what's taking me so long, so I'd better not keep him waiting.

As I picked my lunch up to move it, Mrs. Rugara came out of the kitchen holding another tray, this one much smaller, able to hold something for only one. It was capped, so I still wasn't able to remember what the surprise was. I still only had the hint it used our favorite flavor in it. "Still thinking?" she asked me.

"Yea, but about something else now. That Tyler's treat?"

"Yes. I hope he'll like it. Most kids do, though. You definitely did." She let out another slight laugh.

I laughed a little too. "I still can't remember…"

"Well, c'mon. Let's go give this to your brother. Then both of your curiosities will be satisfied." She didn't waste any time after speaking to start walking into the other room. I picked up my lunch and followed after her. I hope that Tyler won't be able to tell what I have on my mind.

Mrs. Rugara walked into the other room and announced Tyler's surprise. He was over with his friends in another group, eating their lunches and just randomly conversing. Most of that stopped when Mrs. Rugara came in. She walked over to Tyler and placed the tray in front of him, not removing the cap.

I could see that Tyler could tell it was some sort of food treat because his tongue fell out of his mouth to lick around in anticipation. "Can I see what it is?" he asked impatiently.

"Of course. It's your treat," Mrs. Rugara replied.

Tyler wasted almost no time in revealing his treat, making sure not to damage it in any way. Underneath the cap was a small blue cake garnished with Cheri Berries and a Figy Berry on the top. Just seeing it jogged my memory of what it was – an Oran Berry cake. Oran Berries go perfectly with any other flavor, so the kid's flavor preference determined the garnish. Those two elements combine into one very special, tailor made treat.

"That's where the Iapapa Berry came from, right?" I asked Mrs. Rugara, seeing the Figy Berry on top of the cake that was now almost half eaten. Figy Berries were the same amount spicier than Cheri Berries as an Iapapa is sourer than an Aspear. She must've grabbed it for me when she added the Figy to Tyler's cake.

"You forget so many things, Isaac," she replied, laughing at my comment. I joined in laughing as well. I looked back over at Tyler to see how much more of his cake he's devoured… Wow, he must've really liked that cake, because it's just completely gone! It was fairly small, but even still… He downed that thing in just a minute.

"Jeez, Tyler, did you even taste it?" I asked sarcastically. "You devoured that thing like a Munchlax."

"It was delicious! Thank you so much, Auntie Kangaskhan!" he replied over-excitedly.

"You're welcome, Tyler. Happy Birthday."

A few other kids came over and said 'Happy Birthday' as well. Some asked how it tasted; others asked how he could stand the spicy berries on it. I just stood on the sidelines as my brother talked with the other kids. He didn't need me to play with him right now.

However, he seemed to notice me hanging back and came over to me. "Hey, Brother, are you alright?"

I sat down against the wall before answering. "Yea, just thought I'd hang back and let you have fun with other kids your age. Don't worry about me, Tyler."

"Are you sure, Brother? You can play with us if you want to."

I shook my head. "I'm sure, Tyler. I'll be fine. I just wanna relax a little. I may join in later on, but for now I'll just stay here."

He seemed to brighten up a bit. "Alright, Brother!" He ran back to the group he came from. I laid my head back against the wall and closed my eyes. A sudden thought crossed my mind that made me chuckle a bit. With how I was right now, it's not dissimilar to how I acted my first day at the daycare. I'm just isolating myself from everyone else.

But it's a different circumstance. All these kids are eight, nine, ten, eleven years younger than I am. They don't need a fourteen-year-old Buizel who's also much taller than them playing around with them. I don't mind, anyways. As long as my brother is able to have fun, that's all I care about today.

* * *

The rest of the day passed with not much else happening. A majority of the kids, including my brother and his friends, went outside after a bit to play. I went outside after a bit too, but it was only to get some fresh air. I still didn't interact with any others, aside from my brother. He kept coming over to me to ask if I wanted to join in, but I just felt a little too out of place with him and his friends.

Thankfully, he didn't let my inactivity get to him too much. He just kept on playing throughout the evening. Eventually the time came for everyone to return home with their parents, or in Tyler's case, with me.

Tyler had worked himself to the point of exhaustion, and the day still had a few hours left to it. He looked like he just wanted to fall asleep right then and there. "You ready to go home, Tyler?"

He let out a large yawn and rubbed his eyes a little. "Yea… I just hope I can stay awake long enough for dinner. Mom and Dad might also have something too." Another yawn escaped his mouth. "I'm usually not this tired…"

"You've had a lot of fun today, more than usual, I'd guess. Mom and Dad won't mind if you wind up falling asleep. They'll understand." I smiled as I finished. He managed to smile back, but it was cut out by another yawn. "You wanna ride on my back the way home?"

He gave out another light smile when I said that. "Thanks, Brother. You're the best brother in the world."

"I'm not so sure about that, Tyler," I replied. I knelt down and placed my paws behind my back to make a little seat for Tyler to stand on. He crawled onto them and hung his paws over my shoulders. As soon as I felt him have a good grip on me, I stood back up and started to walk back to our home.

"But you are. You've always been so nice to me." He rested his head on my float collar, seeming to be able to fall asleep on my back if he was tired enough.

I just smiled back at him. He did look like he fell asleep, so I just stayed quiet so I didn't disturb him.

The next few minutes were pretty silent, but after the first I knew Tyler wasn't asleep. I could feel him squirming around a little on my back and his paws slightly grip my shoulders every so often. I was kinda confused as to why he was fidgeting so much. He wasn't falling off my back, so why was he moving so much?

"Hey… Brother? Can I ask you one more question?" he asked. His tone was very soft and hesitant.

The hesitance had me a little curious. He normally wasn't so hesitant. "What question?"

"Would you please tell me about the scar on your arm?"

I stopped and looked down at the ground. "Tyler… I told you that it was nothing to worry about and not to ask about it again." The scar on my right arm… A permanent reminder of my stupidity and recklessness. A reminder of that whole ordeal… with Katie…

"But… that can't be it. There's something you're not telling me, Brother. No one else will tell me either. Mom, Dad, even Auntie Kangaskhan didn't say anything about it, but there is something… I can tell. Even now you're thinking about what gave you that scar, aren't you?"

"Tyler… I…" I didn't know what to tell him. I want to tell him the truth… but I don't know how he'll handle it. I don't know how he'll react when I tell him I got this because he grabbed onto Katie's tail which shocked him and drove Katie to run away from depression… And that Staraptor who gave us that news was the one who broke my arm, giving me this jagged discoloration in my fur when it healed.

I want to tell him all this… but I just can't.

"Brother?" He nuzzled the side of my face with his head. "Is it that bad a memory?"

"Tyler… I'm so sorry…"

"Huh? Brother… Why are you crying?"

"Huh?" I could feel it now, the tears… "Tyler, I'm sorry."

He wiped away the tears from my eyes before nuzzling me again. "You don't need to apologize… I think I see why you don't want to talk about it now… It's just a really bad memory for you. I won't ask about it again."

"Tyler, it's… it's not just that. It…" I can't… I just can't. I can't tell him… "I… Let's just get home… I need some time to think…"

"Brother… I'm sorry…"

"No, don't be. You have nothing to be sorry for." But I do. I've been keeping it secret from you for so long now… Maybe I should just tell him…

"Brother, if not tonight, can you… can you at least promise me you'll tell me about it one day?"

"Tyler…" I felt a pang of guilt pass over me. It just seemed so wrong to keep his past secret from him, but I know I can't do so forever. "Yes. I promise…" That's now two promises I have to my brother. "Just give me some time to think about it, alright?"

"Alright, Brother. Thanks. You really are the greatest brother in the world."

I gave a weak smile at his comment. "No. I'm still not." He didn't respond after that. He just rested his head onto my float collar again, like he did before. I started walking again. My mind raced as I did. When would I tell Tyler about his past? Do I even have enough courage to tell him? I just scared he'd blame himself… Maybe I should let someone else tell him…

No… I can't. I have to be the one to tell him. I'll… I'll tell him… tomorrow… Sometime tomorrow… I just can't keep it secret any longer. He deserves to know. I just hope he can forgive me for keeping it hidden from him for so long…

Tyler stayed silent the rest of the trip back home. I don't know if it was because of his exhaustion or if he just did not want to upset me or something…

Mom and Dad were already waiting with dinner ready and a few special treats of their own making for Tyler. He seemed to perk up a little bit, but he was still tired and still probably had our talk in his mind.

I'm still wondering myself if telling him is the right thing… I'm just scared of how he'll react… I don't want to hurt him any… Why is this so hard?

Before the evening was fully over, I told my parents I was going to sleep. I just need to be alone with my thoughts right now… They seemed to have caught on that something wasn't right, but they knew better than to ask about it. They always seem to know.

As soon as I got into my room, I shut the door and closed the curtains on my window. I crawled into my hammock and covered myself up, curling into a ball as well. So much is running through my head right now… Not only the whole deal about me being scared to tell Tyler because of how he'll react, but also the fact that I'll have to retell the worst time in my life to explain it…

I just don't know… Will I be able to tell him, or will I just break down myself before finishing...? I just don't know.

Katie… I'll have to tell him you electrocuted him. I'll have to tell him that you ran away because of that… I'll have to tell him… you died because of that…

I couldn't help but tear up and let out a few quiet sobs. It's odd…. One thinks they've finally gotten over their loss… but they never really do. Eventually, something'll happen to bring those memories back… whether they want them or not.

Katie... Tyler… Both of you… I'm sorry. I've screwed up too many times in the past… I wasn't able to do right by you, Katie, but I can do right by my brother.

I will tell him… Tomorrow…

* * *

**A/N: Broke the 10k word mark on this chapter. I don't know if I'm just trying to cram too much into one chapter, or if I'm just getting more detail or something. Still don't know if the length is a good thing or a bad thing... As long as you get to this part and are not about to fall asleep, I think it might be able to be a good thing, but I don't know. I've been a little shotgun with the lengths of my chapters. Again, just hope that's not a bad thing.**


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